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Governor Gavin Newsom declares State of Emergency for Kern County, other counties

During the conference, Newsom said these are "interesting times" for the state.
Tropical Weather
Posted at 7:38 AM, Aug 22, 2023
and last updated 2023-08-22 11:50:29-04

KERN COUNTY, Calif. (KERO) — Following a weekend of rain, floods, and earthquakes in the Golden State, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency in multiple counties, including Kern County.

Newsom summed up the disasters during a press conference on Mon, Aug 21. During the conference, Newsom said these are "interesting times" for the state.

"Tornados, lightning strikes," Newsom described. "I've got CAL FIRE worried about wildfires because of the winds, not just the tornadoes. I walked out of the OES, the Office of Emergency Services in San Bernardino, checked my phone, and learned about an earthquake that originally came in at 6.0, but appears to be close to 5.1."

Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey says a 4.0 aftershock earthquake happened about eight miles east of Ojai on Tues, Aug 22.