Gavin Newsom criticized for traveling out of state amid record California snowstorm

Asher Notheis

March 04, 01:31 PM March 04, 01:31 PM

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is away from his state for "personal travel" amid a record snowfall in some regions, a decision several have criticized.

It is unknown where Newsom has traveled over the past week, though it is reported that he left the state on Wednesday after visiting the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in Avila Beach in California. Newsom had announced on Wednesday a state of emergency in 13 different state counties in response to the severe winter storms slamming the state, the same day he traveled out of state, according to WHD News.

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"Californians are trapped in their homes without power," Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) wrote on social media on Thursday. "More storms are on the way. And Governor Newsom has just left the state for “personal travel.”

Emily Hoeven, a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, shared an article on Friday about how state residents are in need of food and snow plows, writing that it "may not have been the best timing" for Newsom to travel out of state.

Mike Netter, one of the leaders in the failed Recall Gavin Newsom campaign that took place in 2021, took to social media himself to comment on the governor's absence.

The 13 counties Newsom declared a state of emergency over include Amador, Kern, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Nevada, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sierra, Sonoma, and Tulare. In addition, Newsom activated the State Operations Center to bring state support to county-led emergency response efforts to help combat the severe weather affecting the state.

San Bernardino County Fire spokesman Mike McClintock said structure fires have been a big problem in the mountain communities, which is surprising and unusual, per KTLA. One couple's home exploded due to a gas leak.

Further north, communities brace for more storms this weekend as several feet of snow have already landed. The National Weather Service has predicted between 1 to 5 feet of snow to fall in the Sierra Nevadas above 2,500 feet between Saturday morning and Monday morning, with anywhere from 4 to 18 inches possible at elevations above 1,000 feet, according to the Sacramento Bee.