On Tuesday, Jan. 3, Representative Josh Harder (CA-9) released the following statement as San Joaquin County recovers from the weekend’s storm and prepares for more heavy rainfall mid-day Wednesday. Recently a “bomb cyclone” off the coast of California has brought heavy rain and flooding to Rep. Harder’s district, making major roadways inaccessible and cutting power to more than 29,000 residents.

“Over the past few days we’ve seen a bomb cyclone crush our community, leaving tens of thousands without power and unable to get to work, school, and church. While our local leaders work overtime to keep people safe and rebuild what was lost, state and federal officials continue to work too slowly and get too little done. As we stare down another brutal storm, I’m calling on FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, and state authorities to step up their efforts for San Joaquin County,” said Rep. Harder. “Our community is a valley sitting next to a major river, it’s not rocket science we need to protect our families from flooding. This week, we rebuild and prepare for another round of storms. Next week, we double down on our efforts to build the flood protections we should have built decades ago.”

California’s Central Valley Flood Protection Plan states that Stockton and San Joaquin County are currently more at risk for flooding disaster than New Orleans was during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. According to First Street’s Third Annual Risk Assessment, 92 percent of properties and 97 percent of commercial buildings in the City of Stockton are at risk during a flood.