SACRAMENTO, CA – State Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) issued the following statement in response to Governor Newsom's visit to areas affected by historic flooding in the Central Valley and Tulare Lake Basin:

"I extend my gratitude to the administration and for the efforts of Cal-OES, Cal-Fire, and all other state agencies involved in providing aid to the Central Valley. I also thank my Senate and Assembly colleagues for their support during these difficult times. My office has been working tirelessly on the ground to support all flood-impacted communities of the Central Valley. Our team remains in constant communication with Cal-OES and Cal-Fire in order to provide timely updates on waterway infrastructure, road closures, and flood conditions.

As we have seen firsthand, the damage inflicted on the region by the recent historic weather conditions is devastating. We are facing unprecedented levels of precipitation, with state officials reporting a water level rise of over 200% in the Tulare Lake Basin, and the largest snowpack on record since 1950.

In Corcoran, the federal government estimates that flooding could result in losses of up to $6 billion, and there is particular concern for the safety of the correctional workers and incarcerated persons at California State Prison, Corcoran and the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility.

In addition, agriculture has been decimated by flooding with dedicated farmers and agriculture workers bearing the economic brunt of loss crops and flooded farmlands. The economic consequences to the industry and our region will continue to be significant. In addition, the cattle and dairy industries that are so vital to my district have been disrupted, leading to the evacuation of an estimated one hundred thousand cattle and dairy cows. This has created an incredible burden on our dairy men and women and their ability to feed our state, nation and the world.

Regarding the Corcoran levee, I have had frequent communication with the heads of the Department of Water Resources, Cal-OES and Cal-Fire regarding their assessments and the potential need to reinforce the levee against future flooding. In addition, we have engaged with the community resource managers of Corcoran Prison 1 and SATF to ensure that they have proper evacuation plans in place.

We remain committed to monitoring this situation closely and facilitating conversations between state, local, and federal partners to ensure the safety of the Corcoran community and the larger Central Valley region.

Senator Melissa Hurtado currently represents the 16th Senate District in the California Legislature, which includes portions of Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern Counties. Hurtado is Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, and a member of the Environmental Quality, Health, Human Services, and Natural Resources and Water Committees, and Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies.