TCTA is cultivating our youth

LOCAL

Nancye Wedajo of Heritage High School
31 March 2024

the MARCH newsletter

Youth resources such as tutoring and support in the Brentwood community are expanding with a group of students paving the way. The Community Tree Association aims to provide encouragement for youth struggling with their mental health, assistance with those struggling academically, and aid to the less fortunate through donation drives. 

Founded last year by Rojan Mikael Habon, a sophomore at Heritage High School, The Community Tree Association (TCTA), made up of 7 officers and 10 general members, is a student-led organization aimed at helping students excel academically and be more involved with the community. 

TCTA has built a rapport with the community as they’ve hosted numerous events for Brentwood’s youth to participate in. According to Caroline Jin, TCTA’s publicist, “TCTA has done donation drives (typically stationed in front of CVS) to collect gently used clothing to donate to homeless shelters in Brentwood and San Francisco.”

The group has managed to create a long-lasting impact as they’ve created avenues and ways for youth to stay connected. As stated by Jin, these arranged drives and study sessions have, “provided teens in Brentwood with a way to contribute and make a positive difference in their community.”

The group also brings awareness to pressing matters as they tackle issues like homelessness head-on through their clothing drives where they’ve been able to collect over 600 items at a time. 

“The Community Tree Association’s goal is to also be able to help the less fortunate,” Habon said, “so we will be hosting weekly donation drives to obtain donations for homeless shelters in the San Francisco Bay Area.”

Through these volunteer opportunities they’ve made available, TCTA aims to help Brentwood youth develop social skills.

“We also want to help those in our nonprofit build different skills in helping others, servant leading, and building bonds within our little group,” said Jin. 

Simultaneously, this organization is paving the way for more expansion as it hopes to make its resources even more widely attainable. Fiore Bin, TCTA’s Head of Outreach, said they hope to “expand TCTA to developing countries that need help.” 

Only a year into action, members and officers of this nonprofit organization have discovered how to build fruitful interactions with one another, learning and teaching along the way. 

These students are cultivating an open and resource-rich environment for Brentwood’s youth and there is more to come. To stay in the loop, follow their Instagram @brentwood_tcta for future events.

As said by TCTA founder Habon, “Everyone should join to not only gain community service hours, but to get involved, be connected to our community, and gain an amazing experience.”

Veterans Day: Honoring Service Members

LOCAL

Rachel Lei of Heritage High School
30 November 2023

the November newsletter

Every year Nov. 11 marks America’s calendars with a day off in commemoration of all that have served. Throughout Contra Costa County, several events were hosted to pay tribute to veterans in the area. By attending celebrations such as the City of Brentwood’s Veterans Park ceremony and the City of Antioch’s parade, locals were able to pay their tribute and hear the stories of those a part of United States history. 

Not to be confused with Memorial Day, Veterans Day was “largely intended to thank living veterans for their sacrifices” as explained by Katie Lange, a writer for the U.S. Department of Defense; Memorial Day is intended to remember lives lost in service. 

When Veterans Day was first implemented, it was called Armistice Day as an observation of the end of WWI. That was because an armistice, or the ceasefire to war, was to go into effect “on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” in 1919, marking the end of what was regarded as the “war to end all wars,” as written by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. As such, celebrating those who have served acted as an event of remembrance and peace, no matter what side one supported in the war. 

A c/TSgt Tam, a Junior ROTC cadet, describes Veterans Day as a way to respect the efforts made by the “regular people fighting for America [to] give us a better life.” 

Cadets in the program are taught by former service members, and hearing the sacrifices they’ve made and their reactions to getting recognition creates a sense of pride during Veterans Day. The holiday gives exposure to those working behind the scenes to protect the nation and recognizes the achievements of the hundreds of thousands who have served in the military. 

Not only does this day pay respects to the sacrifices many citizens have made for America, but studies find that engaging with veterans is a way to remedy political polarization. With the 2024 presidential election coming up, politics have become ever more polarized, as noted by a survey from research organization, More in Common. 

The same survey found that “Americans across the political spectrum believe it is important to engage with veterans,” yet 54% of Americans have never talked to a veteran. The report notes that engaging with veterans gives people role models of citizenship, with 80% of Americans having great confidence in the leadership of veterans. 

Instructors of Heritage High School’s JROTC program explain that lending a listening ear to any willing veterans goes a long way in comforting, connecting and learning about the people and experiences often regarded as just a part of forgotten history.

PG&E offers an opportunity for low-income residents to lower their energy bills

LOCAL

Briana Rose of Los Medaons College
30 September 2023

the SEPTEMBER newsletter

For more, click here.

As Californians transition from the summer heat to the cold winter and fall months, their energy usage likely follows the seasonal changes and reflects in their bill payments. Low-income families especially experience the impact of year-round energy demands on top of other monthly bills. 

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a gas and electric service that serves northern, and parts of southern California, consistently provides the FERA and CARE programs to help low-income families afford their energy bills. These programs serve 1.4 million people combined, and PG&E’s community outreach department continues to encourage more eligible Californians to apply for the program. 

With CARE and FERA, customers receive discounts on their monthly bills, and depending on which program the customer qualifies for, and their needs, customers could receive up to a 20% discount or more on their bills. In order to maintain a discounted bill, customers of CARE and FERA need to re-apply every month. To qualify, eligibility depends on if a customer meets the total gross annual household income requirement (all household members’ incomes combined). Customers must provide proof of their income. 

Like many other social service programs, PG&E’s CARE and FERA programs intend to teach their low-income customers how to effectively manage their energy usage in order for them to save energy and maintain relatively low charges. However, in order to achieve their goal, they need to provide assistance to their customers that are in need. 

“It’s kind of like a journey, it’s a fluid journey, at any point in the customer’s journey, they could be in a different circumstance,” said Kathrine Nichole Long, a community outreach ambassador for PG&E. “They might start out with past due bills and they need to get caught up and then they might evolve and say ‘okay, I’m caught up on my bills now and I need help with a future discount, and then I need help with lowering energy practices so that my bills don’t get so high,’ so that’s kind of like a journey of the experience.”

Essentially, CARE and FERA empowers individuals to conserve energy and promote sustainable practices in order to manage their finances. However, some challenge the concept of social service programs, like CARE and FERA, classifying them as “handouts.”

“People see [the CARE and FERA] programs as a giveaway program and forget to realize that it’s more than a giveaway, it’s an opportunity to learn how to be a manager of [your energy] usage,” said Victor Silva, a PG&E retiree. 

Despite some challenging the purpose of social service programs, Long makes a strong commitment to ensuring these programs remain present in communities as these programs have been part of the company for many years. She believes that being provided with energy is a basic human need and therefore, uses her position to ensure that every customer has access to energy utilities, regardless of their background or any economic barriers. 

“The one thing I’m working on enhancing this year is helping our community advocates reach out to customers where we know there is a need,” said Long. “Based on information and data, we can understand where our highest need customers are and make sure that we go to those areas to serve them better so we can target and make sure that we are in the places that we need to be, in the ZIP codes that we need to be, in the communities that we need to be in, to make sure that we’re coming to the customer to spread awareness and not waiting for them to come to us,” said Long.

As PG&E continues to promote their CARE and FERA programs, they plan to increase their community presence and involvement. 

“I feel like [people] are going to see PG&E a lot more in their communities showing up. I think people will see the collaboration and the partnership that PG&E has with local community organizations that are advocates for these programs,” said Long.

PG&E identified a need in their community and decided to take action by providing their CARE and FERA programs. Individuals who believe in the benefits of social service programs, and are in need, should take advantage of programs, such as CARE and FERA.

The importance of mental health

LOCAL

Rojan Habon of Heritage High School
30 September 2023

the SEPTEMBER newsletter

A community heals as one.

If you are seeking support for your mental health contact the numbers listed. 

By calling the general suicide helpline at 1-800-273-8255 or 988. Click here for NAMI’S website and the helplines are 800-950-6264, text NAMI to 741-741, or call 1-800-950-NAMI.

Mental health has a profound effect on an individual’s life, impacting thoughts, actions, thinking and function. When one’s mental health deteriorates, it can increase the risk of anxiety and other problems as well. Whether it is attending therapy sessions or talking with someone you trust, discussing what you are experiencing mentally is a crucial aspect of maintaining a healthy mindset.

So, why does mental health matter?

As mental health affects motivation, it also influences actions. A severe effect of poor mental health is the illness of depression. Depression is when one feels empty, sad, and hopeless. When someone is experiencing depression, they are at the highest risk of committing suicide.

An article by Heather Saunders and Nirmita Panchal published July 11, 2023, covers the topic of suicide over the years. “When adjusted for population growth and age, the suicide rate has risen by 16% from 2011 to 2022, moving from 12.3 to 14.4 deaths per 100,000 individuals.” 

This trend raises concerns about mental health being a continuous issue as suicidal deaths are increasing due to a lack of mental health resources and care. Although, with proper help provided it can reverse this growing trend.

The first step is to speak up, but this task is not as simple as it may seem. However, to shed light on this growing issue, September marks Suicide Prevention Month which brings awareness to mental health and one’s wellbeing. During this time, mental health groups can step up this time to share and speak about mental health. 

NAMI is a local non-profit that advocates and fights for people’s healthy well-being and has served the Contra Costa community for over 30 years. With locations spread across the U.S. and California. NAMI not only advocates for mental health but also for lives of quality and respect, fighting for equality and an equal life for all.

On September 24, 2023, at Contra Loma reservoir, NAMI held a special event commemorating those who have been lost too early called “Remembering Those We’ve Lost”. The event consisted of a variety of courageous individuals from across the Bay Area sharing their experiences with mental health, followed by a dove release. A range of ages and backgrounds attended this event. 

Executive Director Gigi Crowder describes her work for NAMI as, “for the people” adding, “The way NAMI can bring people together, all from different backgrounds, and allow them to share their experiences is incredible.” 

One volunteer speaker at the event said, “NAMI saved my life,” as she referred to their suicide hotline, 1-800-950-NAMI. 

Together, Executive Director Crowder and NAMI have been assisting people across the community for years as the group focuses on sharing stories and resources with others.

Mental health is a crucial aspect to take care of since it affects both thoughts and actions. Recognizing when another or yourself is struggling with their mental health can be one of the first steps in saving a life. Ignoring these struggles has detrimental effects on individuals and loved ones around them. Even asking the simple question “Are you okay,” can show support for those who may be vulnerable, and being the shoulder for one to cry on during that difficult time can sometimes make all the difference.

Drones fly above Downtown Brentwood

LOCAL

Briana Rose of Heritage High School
30 July. 2023

A celebration of Independence Day & the city’s 75th Anniversary

Watch the drone show here!

the JULY newsletter

Residents filled the streets of Downtown Brentwood on Tuesday, July 4th, as the city hosted back-to-back Independence Day events with this year’s Fourth of July parade, holding the largest event turnout yet.

“I enjoyed all the decorations and the spirit shown throughout these events. And everyone was friendly and having a good time at these events as well,” said Lola Hussain, a Brentwood resident.

The celebrations began with the Fourth of July parade at 9:30 a.m. and occupied downtown throughout the day. The Brentwood Lions Club later commemorated Brentwood’s 75th anniversary with their Fourth of July Carnique. By night, residents gathered to watch Brentwood’s first-ever drone show, Light up the Night, which began at 9:00 p.m. and remained in the sky until 9:12 p.m.

Amy Tilley, the executive director of the Downtown Brentwood Coalition, a nonprofit that organized the event, saw a need for an event like Light up the Night. However, challenges arose due to firework restrictions within Contra Costa County, making the planning of this event unprecedented in the city of Brentwood.

“I knew from my family standpoint…We were driving to other places to watch fireworks or do things for the Fourth of July because [Brentwood] didn’t have anything. I know that’s a bummer because I don’t like driving on the Fourth of July, I think it’s not even a great time to be out on the road. So, I think it’s good to offer something right here in Brentwood, and that was a big motivator,” shared Tilley.

The city commemorated Independence Day but also celebrated Brentwood’s 75th anniversary. Knowing fireworks were not a choice, Tilley got much of her inspiration from popular nighttime light shows.

“I immediately thought of Disneyland and Fantasmic,” said Tilley. “I started googling Fantasmic and Disneyland, trying to figure out how I can get a show that magical downtown. But then, I found these drone companies were starting to proliferate and they’re able to do some pretty cool things.”

As a nonprofit, and considering it was an unprecedented event, the DBC knew Light Up the Night needed ample advertising and fundraising. Tilley contacted the Mothers of Brentwood, another nonprofit in Brentwood, to coordinate the marketing and financial aspects of the event to help attain their considerable goal of raising $50,000. The twelve board members voted in favor of the drone show and created a GoFundMe to allow residents to donate five dollars for their Five Dollars for the Fourth campaign. Local businesses also sponsored the event, where all the money raised went towards the Sky Elements production.

“I think the biggest challenge is reaching the community in general, just as far as any event goes. But I think a lot of people are unaware that this event was going on and that’s why we were fundraising,” said Kimi, the president of Mothers of Brentwood.

The community not only worked together regarding fundraising but also with the technicalities of the show. A big component of the process was ensuring the show could be seen. The Brentwood Police Department as well as Downtown Brentwood business owners, gathered to test where the drones should be placed come time for the live light show.

“We did some crazy experiments. We had Brentwood PD come out with their drone and they launched it from the top of the parking structure. And they put it up there at 9:30 at night, and me and a couple other business owners from downtown drove around Brentwood trying to see where we could see the light from,” said Tilley.

Through communal efforts, the DBC brought the event to life. Although the future of Light up the Night is uncertain, drone shows may continue to emerge in communities as a necessity rather than an alternative. Counties, including Contra Costa County, are always seeking solutions to prevent exacerbating California’s fire season.

The crackling and loud pops of fireworks will always be the famous sounds of the Fourth of July. However, the city of Brentwood took a leap of faith and not only organized a Fourth of July nighttime event but experimented with drones to celebrate the historic day.

The bloom of FloresbyJen

LOCAL

Emma Reynolds of Heritage High School
30 July. 2023

• Check out Art Heals on Instagram

the JULY newsletter

A new flower business has sprouted in the Brentwood community. FloresbyJen was introduced in early July by 17-year-old Jenna Mejia, marking the latest social media-run flower shop. 

Built on the foundation of gratitude, FloresbyJen aims to foster thankfulness and appreciation in the community through the language of flowers. Mejia’s passion for floral artistry as well as encouragement from others has navigated the journey of starting a small business. 

When Mejia contemplated starting a business, she had hesitations. To solidify her decision, she decided to post an Instagram story asking others what their thoughts were about her business idea. Mejia described how her followers’ shocking feedback pushed her to begin FloresbyJen. 

“I was not expecting all the support that I had received. My direct messages were flooded with sweet comments and encouragement from relatives, friends and acquaintances- everyone,” said Mejia. “Those messages I give credit to jump-starting it all.” 

The abundance of support left Mejia speechless, as starting a small business is difficult. Mejia described the behind-the-scenes of what she does for FloresbyJen. 

“My mornings start early, picking up the prettiest and freshest flowers. Then, I take them home to arrange the bouquets, and voila. I manage the money and social media and coordinate with all of my beautiful customers. So, it is a one-woman show over here!” said Mejia. 

FloresbyJen is entirely Instagram based and has been an asset to the growth of Mejia’s business. Mejia can easily communicate with new, current and prospective customers to understand each requested bouquet. 

“The best part about starting my business has been the interpersonal connections that I have been able to make and strengthen with others,” said Mejia. “Whether this may be among new friends who have purchased from me, my family helping me overcome an obstacle, or my community supporting my business, I am truly blessed to be a part of it all.” 

Inevitably, new business owners must face personal and logistic challenges. The transition from a hobby to a business required Mejia to make difficult decisions.

“One particular struggle was mustering up the courage to actually charge my clients! Having evolved an intrinsic pursuit into something that could be profitable was tough because I had been used to gifting bouquets for free, not selling them,” explained Mejia. “I wanted to make sure that what I would be charging my customers was fair to them and myself–I did not want to overcharge, and I certainly did not want to sell myself short.” 

Adapting from new experiences can be difficult alone, but insight from others can alleviate some stresses or challenges. For Mejia, she turned to her family for direction when obstacles blocked her path. 

 “My mom plays a big role in helping me sort out any bumps in the road. Whenever things get tricky, I go to her for advice. For instance, when it came to pricing my bouquets, together we sought out other florists and their prices to figure out what I should be charging,” said Mejia. 

The journey of FloresbyJen has just begun. Sharing the business with love and gratitude has made FloresbyJen attractive to community members. Whether a gift for a celebration or a heartfelt thanks, bouquets can be purchased via Instagram to @floresbyjen.

Behind the Chinese Culture Club’s Lunar New Year festival

LOCAL

Alison Chiu of Heritage High School
28 Feb. 2023

READ FROM THE PRESS!

the FEBRUARY newsletter

Heritage High School’s Chinese Culture Club was founded earlier this year by students with a vision to help spread and share Chinese culture with others. The club fundraised, scheduled and organized a festival in honor of the Lunar New Year open for all to attend.

Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, started on Jan. 22, 2023, and is celebrated in China, South Korea, Vietnam and other countries with overseas Chinese populations. Marking the beginning of spring and the start of the lunar calendar, as the lunar calendar is different from the solar Gregorian calendar, commonly used in other places of the world.

President of the club, Karina Chen (11), described their mentality for their Lunar New Year Festival as “go hard or go home.” Starting as a new club, the members had to fundraise for the event from scratch. To do so, the club participated in Food Faire at Heritage, an event where clubs sell food, hosted a spicy ramen-eating contest, and an event with TeaZenTea to earn money to put together the event.

Along with the fundraising, the coordination between the city, school district, and Heritage High School’s leadership, the club’s officers and advisor all stated that the planning leading up to the event was stressful.

Nonetheless, the festival began on Feb. 4, 2023, from 9-1 p.m. in front of the Brentwood Library on Oak St. next to Brentwood’s weekly farmers market. The festival invited more than 10 different vendors—including small businesses and school clubs—to sell items and promote.

Among the vendors were: Euphoric Sun, Bukku’s Boutique, LV Creations, starrlightshop, Liberty High School’s Culture Shock, Heritage High School’s Korean Culture Club, Heritage’s Polynesian Culture Club, and Money Tree wishing. The festival even featured a lion’s dance in the morning—a form of traditional Chinese dance where dancers mimic a lion’s moves in costume—performed by Lung Sing Martial Arts.

Of the many small business vendors, Euphoric Sun’s CEO and owner, Sun Li said the event allowed them to “try to go to more markets” and branch out from their online stores. For some vendors, like Elizabeth Khuu, Money Tree wishing’s owner, the festival was even their first time attending a physical event.

The event was a beautiful celebration of Asian culture in Brentwood and a well-put-together event by a high school club that started only a year ago.

According to Chen who highlighted the outstanding commitment to the event that “the students did most of the work.” The officers of the club, David Shin, Joshua Luk Isabella Lee, and Cynthia Lu, were crucial organizers, helping get permits, performances, and more.

With an overwhelming consensus from the club’s officers, Chen hoped “that next year with these connections we’ve made, we continue to do everything.” The festival gave the Asian American population of Brentwood, and even residents from neighboring cities, a chance to gather and celebrate their culture.

Chen was told by many that “people have wanted this for a very long time” and “seeing the lion’s dance was their dream.” Even for the people who were not of Asian ethnicity or did not celebrate Lunar New Year, the event helped educate and share new cultures and traditions.

Share your voice with the community

LOCAL

Aliyah Ramirez of Los Medanos College
28 Feb. 2023

the FEBRUARY newsletter

Writers have the ability to share their outlooks through storytelling; yet, working as student journalists, writers can go beyond the surface and tell the stories they believe matter most to invoke change.

If you enjoy sharing your community’s stories, the Brentwood Youth Press is the perfect place to start!

The Youth Press is a student-run organization under the Brentwood Press. The team is made up of voluntary high school and college writers who compose monthly newsletters for the community. They meet via Zoom to brainstorm and pitch ideas each month, in addition to possibly being featured on the Press’ website or print edition newspaper.

The team is full of creative minds from Heritage, Liberty, and Freedom High School, who have all had their work published on the Youth Press website. They are routinely working with the Youth Press editorial team to improve their reporting skills for each month’s newsletter. Made up of three Los Medanos College students, there is the managing editor; Aliyah Ramirez, photography editor; Muskaan Adeel, and graphic designer; Alexis Ramirez.

As a paper representative of the community’s youth, the Youth Press aspires to have young voices heard–covering community events, global issues, arts & entertainment, column stories and more! However, writing is not the only way to tell a story. Those interested in joining can also compose visual media for articles with the photography editor, or help create design layouts with the graphic designer.

Have your work shared through social media, newsletters, and publications!

If you are interested in joining the Youth Press team, it only takes a few steps! All you need to do is contact the editorial team at youthpresseditors@gmail.com, share a brief introduction, and attach two of your best stories.

Finding a place for future generations

LOCAL

Muskaan Adeel of Los Medanos College
28 Feb. 2023

DONATE HERE!

the FEBRUARY newsletter

Mosques are important places of worship for the Muslim community, serving as a central hub for gatherings, religious ceremonies, and other activities. However, as the Muslim population grows, mosques struggle to accommodate growing needs. Expansion is one way to address this issue, but it can be challenging and costly.

The Brentwood Muslim Community Center (BRMCC) located at 7701 Lone Tree Way in Brentwood, CA, was founded in 2010, and the community has multiplied since then. Many families call the community center home and depend on it to stay connected to culture and religion.

“Having enough money for these projects, allows more Muslims to feel more welcomed and involved to become closer to their religion and community,” said Amna Tanvir, the co-director of the Youth Committee. This is an extremely important project for this community center because it brings all backgrounds to worship Allah (God).”

The Brentwood Muslim Community Center is the only mosque surrounding the neighboring cities, such as Oakley and Discovery Bay. With more people moving into these cities, the rush of the mosque increases.

Expanding will provide an opportunity to improve the infrastructure of the building increasing the resources available. Members hope to create new facilities, such as classrooms, meeting rooms, and community centers to serve as a hub for various activities beyond religious services. More groups will be given resources to express their knowledge and learn from different points of view.

The BRMCC is also home to their Sunday School, Weekly Hikmah School, and summer camp activities. With the initiative of raising money for this mosque, the Brentwood youth have started their committee to put their ideas and contribution to help build this mosque for their future.

“With the expansion, I will have more room for my students at our Hikmah Sunday School. I would want to see much larger prayer areas so we can accommodate all members of our community and larger classrooms,” explained Umair Shafi, the youth committee’s Logistics head, and a sophomore at LMC.

However, the problems that have arisen include, no parking available for Islamic Holidays, such as Eid, Ramadan, and Jummah Prayers, known as Friday prayers. According to the mosque headboard, there is a rough estimate of about 500-600 families that show up for Eid due to the mandatory prayer, but there is no space. People have stood outside in the parking lot and prayed on the pavements.

Along with Eid, the holy fasting month of Ramadan, there are dinners every night for families to come and break their fast surrounded by community. It has become essential for the center to create a safe place for families to learn about Islam and be a part of the community.

Fortunately, the center was able to find a suitable plot of land near the present mosque in Brentwood in early 2022. The community center put down a bid of $1.5 million and was approved for the 8.16-acre property with an initial deposit of $70 thousand. For the center to meet the remaining balance due in April 2023, donations and contributions by the community have raised over $500 thousand.

“When you have a bigger mosque, you have a stronger and larger community,” said Sara Shafi, co-director of the mosque youth committee. “As I grow older, I want to have resources such as counseling, youth groups, and lecture panels to help guide me to become a better Muslim and give me an opportunity to give back to my religion and community.”

Taking small steps has helped the mosque bring in donations and has put together community events to increase awareness. As the Youth Committee has put together its annual Family Food Festival on Saturday, March 11, from 11-7 p.m. in the Brentwood Masjid Community Center to spread the word and share good food.

Record-setting storms sweep California

LOCAL

Sophia Schiemann of Heritage High School
30 Jan. 2023

the JANUARY newsletter

With the start of the new year, recent storms have led to landslides, mudslides, flooding, and power outages throughout California. The heavy rain and winds caused damage, especially to the residential and agricultural areas. Over 25 million people were put under a ‘Flood Watch,’ advising residents to stay prepared in the case of a possible emergency.

Devastating floods have been the primary issue in surrounding areas, leading to landslides, blocked roadways, and preventing civilians from traveling. Deer Valley Road in Antioch, California, was faced with a temporary closure due to extreme flooding. Residents of neighboring streets have been advised to avoid the area, according to Contra Costa Public Works only allowing local traffic to pass.

“By some estimates, 22 to 25 trillion gallons of water have fallen over the course of the last 16-17 days – the stacking of these atmospheric rivers the likes of which we’ve not experienced in our lifetimes,” stated Governor Gavin Newsom.

With storms came power outages and at the peak of the downpours, up to 400,000 Californians were left without power. Along with these storms, there have been some fatal consequences.

As reported by The Guardian, currently, 20 people have been confirmed dead. The tragic loss of life mainly occurred due to falling trees and debris and driving on extremely flooded sections of road.

Newsom told CNN the expectations for another drastic Jan. 16 storm as he urged residents to prepare as, “we have lost too much – too many people to these storms and in these waters.”

To better prepare for future flooding, residents have been using sandbags to protect their houses to act as a barrier to the rising water. The city of San Francisco was handing out up to 10 free sandbags to residents to prevent any damage to businesses and housing. In addition, Contra Costa County Public Works was also allowing residents to gather sandbags at their given locations.

Throughout cities such as Brentwood, Antioch, and Oakley, once-dry creeks were seen flowing with water. These storms lead to drastic consequences but have also helped California with the ongoing drought.

Flood warnings are currently rescinded due to storms passing, but certain debris remains on roads. There are currently no predictions for similar storms in the future, but at this time, California is in the clear for any more “atmospheric rivers.”