As a result of the storms, tens of thousands of people in California are without electricity.
Democratic California governor Gavin Newsom is being criticized for his “personal travel” during the state’s disastrous winter storms, which have dumped several feet of snow in some areas.
It is unknown where Governor Newsom went after leaving California on Wednesday following his visit to the Diablo Canyon power plant in Avila Beach; his administration does not comment on such topics citing security concerns.
“Many residents of California have been left in the dark. The forecast calls for further storms. The state’s chief executive, Governor Gavin Newsom, has reportedly gone for an unspecified period of “personal vacation.” “The statement was made by Republican California lawmaker Kevin Kiley on Thursday through Twitter.
Noting that some Californians hit by the storms had no power and were running out on supplies, Kiley urged Interim Democratic Gov. Eleni Kounalakis “to promptly request a Major Disaster Declaration from the President” in a separate tweet.
Emily Hoeven, a journalist for the San Francisco Chronicle, tweeted on Friday that Newsom “may not have picked the ideal moment to go out of state on a personal trip,” referring to an article about Californians who were trapped without food or a method to dig themselves out of the snow.
After declaring a state of emergency in 13 counties throughout the state on Wednesday due to the storms, including Los Angeles County, it is puzzling that Newsom would choose to leave the state as the situation with the storms continues to worsen.
Newsom’s out-of-state travel has drawn criticism before. He received criticism for taking a vacation in Montana a year ago, despite the state being one of 22 from which he had barred state-funded travel due to variances in LGBT-related laws.