‘We are coming,’ San Bernardino County officials tell trapped mountain residents

As residents in Lake Arrowhead and other mountain communities remain trapped by several feet of snow several days after this week’s rare winter storms, San Bernardino County officials worked to reassure them that help is on the way.

“We are here for ya,” Sheriff Shannon Dicus said at a news conference Friday, March 2 at the county Government Center. “We’re gonna dig you out and we are coming.”

Much progress has been made in recent days, said Dicus, who took an aerial tour of the mountains Thursday.

“The roads are being cleared,” he added. “There are snow plows everywhere and you are going to see direct relief coming to your doorsteps shortly.”

In the meantime, the Sheriff’s Department has evacuated residents who do not have the supplies necessary to survive the next few days out of the mountains, Dicus said. Food distribution points will be set up soon.

Residents across the mountains remain buried under several feet of snow, the weight of it collapsing roofs of mobile homes and the only grocery store in Crestline, Goodwin and Sons Market. Meanwhile, at least three homes burned in Lake Arrowhead in blazes the county has preliminarily attributed to leaks of natural gas.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.