Stranded San Bernardino Mountain Residents Issue Plea for Help

Stranded residents of San Bernardino’s snow-covered mountain communities are beginning to panic as vital resources wane. Several of them spoke to news stations this week in a plea for help from authorities. 

“What we need are plows,” Nathan Hazard of unincorporated Crestline told KTLA. “At this point, we need more than plows because it’s up to five feet of packed snow that’s filling our roads.”  

“There are many people who don’t have food and, case in point, can’t get there,” he explained. 

Another Crestline resident told KTLA he has a family staying with him that hasn’t had power for five days.

“So far, as long as we have power, we are okay, but if our power goes, this is going to be a really dangerous turn for most of the families up here,” Steve Lucarelli warned. 

"We're running out of food, we're running out of propane for our heat, without the streets being plowed and without the propane coming, because it just can't get here, I don't know what we do?” Stephen Holeyfield told ABC News. “I mean .. do we call the police? Do we call the fire department and ask for an evacuation or something?"  

Gas stations are beginning to run out of fuel and some residents say they’re without needed medical supplies. Many residents feel abandoned by the county, Hazard said. 

Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe insists the county is doing everything it can and urged continued patience from residents. There was no way for the county to be prepared for an event like this, Rowe added. 

Highway 18, along with hundreds of smaller roads, remain closed due to several feet of snow. San Bernardino County has issued a state of emergency. The public works department and Caltrans crews say they are working around the clock to clear access along key routes for first responders.