BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Heavy rains across Kern County have spurred an emergency response from local agencies. County officials held a press conference Friday evening in Bakersfield to discuss the situation.
In addition to how various agencies are responding to the emergency, Kern County Fire Department Deputy Chief Billy Steers highlighted the unusual amount of rain in cubic feet per second that's been coming down and feeding floods.
"It should be flowing about 600, maybe 1,000 CFS at this time of the year, and it's flowing at about 45,000 CFS, so this is extraordinarily high," said Steers.
Officials say the main concern right now is the fear that the Kern River should start to potentially rise above the Kernville area.
The Kern County Sheriff's Office, Red Cross Kern Chapter, and other local agencies have maintained partnerships across the county to provide services and assistance.
Along with having hand crews and helicopters on standby, with evacuation warnings put in effect across Kernville, 50 Kern County firefighters have joined sheriff's deputies in knocking door to door to warn residents.
Stay connected to 23ABC on the air and online overnight and through the weekend as we track this latest storm system and resulting floods.
IN-DEPTH: AVERAGE RAINFALL IN BAKERSFIELD
According to the National Weather Service, as of midnight March 10, before the day's storms, Bakersfield had already received 6.94 inches of rain this water year.
Bakersfield's average rainfall for this point in the water year is 4.63 inches.
Bakersfield has already gotten more water in the first three months of 2023 than in all of 2022. The city's total rainfall last year amounted to 5.41 inches.
