Palmdale City Council Declares State Of Emergency Following Storms

PALMDALE (CBSLA.com) — Palmdale City Council declared a state of emergency following the severe thunderstorms that caused intense flooding and mud damage throughout the area.

Residents made emotional pleas at a council meeting in Palmdale on Wednesday night, in which city leaders met with the public after several neighborhoods were ravaged by the storms.

"I have watched the devastation they have gone through the last few days," one emotional attendee said to council members. "We're all trying to cope the best we can, but if we don't have your word, we have nothing."

The council's declaration of the state of emergency is the first step in getting county and state aid.

Resident Tina Faulk's home was severely damaged along Redwood, where at least a dozen houses were almost completely ruined.

"The bathrooms have been gutted, the kitchen is totally gone, we lost both vehicles," Faulk described.

The storm caused a powerful surge of water and debris, which ripped through walls.

The council approved $1.4 million in emergency funding to help with the clean up, but residents worry that the measure may not be enough, especially when the expected El Niño is taken into consideration.

"We need sandbags, we need K-rails, we need something done."

A GoFundMe page has been set up online to assist the Faulk family. To donate, click here.