After drone delivery failed emergency crews deliver medication door to door

After massive snowstorms that have rendered the area inaccessible for 12 to 14 days, emergency crews from San Diego and Escondido have been dispatched to the San Bernardino Mountains to deliver medications to senior citizens and disabled residents who have been stranded in their homes as a result of the storms.

High winds prevented drone delivery of meds

Rich Eagan, a firefighter in Chula Vista who has been on the job for 33 years, stated that emergency crews are going door-to-door to deliver medications because an attempt to use drones to deliver the medications was unsuccessful due to winds of 40 miles per hour.

“Initially, we tried using drones to deliver their medication, but the winds were 40 miles per hour and it didn't work,” said Eagan according to 10News.

The Chula Vista Fire Department has dispatched a crew of ten people to assist with the emergency efforts that are currently underway in the region.

A flood warning is currently in effect for the city of Bishop, which has prompted the San Diego Fire and Rescue Department to send a swift water rescue team consisting of six people to that location.

According to California Governor's Office of Emergency Services officials, more than 94,000 people have been given orders to evacuate their homes, and more than 54,000 people do not have access to electricity.

Following a request from California Governor Gavin Newsom, US Vice President Joe Biden on Friday gave his approval to declare a state of emergency in the state of California.

As a result of the emergency conditions brought on by the severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides that started on March 9 and are continuing over the weekend, the president has ordered federal assistance to supplement the efforts of state, tribal, and local response personnel.

“It's been quite a while since the state has had something this significant,” said Aide Barbat, a Battalion Chief with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

Since the first storm, at least thirteen bodies have been discovered, and authorities have linked the storm to the deaths of two people.

Although drones have the potential to aid with disaster response efforts, this case underscores the challenges of employing them in unpredictable weather circumstances, particularly in remote and mountainous places where strong winds and heavy precipitation might occur.