Congressman Raul Ruiz sees impact of Tropical Storm Mario in Imperial Valley
Adrik Vargas
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Congressman Raul Ruiz toured Imperial Valley Thursday to see the damage left behind by the remnants of Tropical Storm Mario.
He visited the City of Holtville, where the impact of the storm is still visible. Thousands of people lost electricity and some had to be evacuated.
Local officials were on hand to walk Ruiz through the damage.
Chief David Lantzer said, “There was about four miles worth of power poles that were knocked down by the storm. But damage like this is scattered throughout, including trees…fences.”
Ruiz met with local officials and IID crews to hear about the challenges residents face while recovering.
“As you can see these downed, electrical pole lines. It’s devastating. Nearly 100 pole lines went down,” Ruiz said. He added, “The plan is to shorten the distance between the poles right now and make it more resilient. I think that’s a good step.”
The congressman also emphasized long-term support for the region.
“We’ve been working with IID, throughout the years. We’ve identified different funding and grants and moneys for them to build out their operations so they can be more resilient. And we’ll continue to do so,” he said.
While the storm has passed, cleanup continues, and residents hope visits like Ruiz’s help bring additional support to the community.