FEMA have arrived at Travis Air Force Base in Southern California in readiness for the Oroville Dam to completely collapse.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the storms currently raging through Southern California are very likely to lead to the Dam failing.
If that happens, and there’s a strong chance it will, the death toll could reach up to several thousand – making it the worst disaster in American history.
Kcra.com reports:
“FEMA has requested to use the Air Force base as a good community partner to assist in providing space, so they can stage their vehicles and supplies here, so they’re immediately ready to help the public when needed,” Hames said. “They don’t want to be caught too late to the fight, if you will, to get the supplies and such there.”
As the trucks make their way onto the base, they’re checked in and accounted for by FEMA crews before getting parked and staged in case they need to be sent to Oroville.
“We’re working really closely. We’re embedded with our state partners. We’re monitoring the situation at the Oroville Dam Spillway in case more federal assistance is needed,” external affairs officer for FEMA Region 9 Veronica Verde said.
The mobilization comes two days after President Donald Trump approved Gov. Jerry Brown’s request for a federal emergency declaration in Oroville.
At least 44 trucks and more than two dozen personnel from FEMA are expected to arrive at the base through Friday.
“We’ll move them as quickly as we can, as soon as the state says there’s a need for them,” Verde said.
With the emergency declaration approved, the state will now be responsible for only a quarter of the costs of these supplies. FEMA will pay for the other 75 percent.
But officials hope none of the trucks have to be deployed to Oroville.
“We are all hoping and keeping our fingers crossed that we won’t use any of them and everything stays normal,” Hames said.