Mountain Disaster Preparedness has organized a community meeting to discuss the highway access to Idyllwild caused by the recent weather.
The session will be 6 p.m. Monday, March 18. Mike Feyder, MDP president, is arranging a location to accommodate the public. But the time and date are set.
Representatives of the California Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol, and the county will attend and speak to the public about the progress of the work to repair highways 74 and 243.
Time also will be allocated to discuss many questions about the lessons we learned from this isolation. “This is the first time we are really an island in the sky,” Feyder said, describing the highway situation.
As a consequence of the road disruption, individuals were concerned about heating homes during the extremely low temperatures. Propane deliveries were limited, and rain and snow limited firewood delivery to burn. Also, people were worried about the ability of emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, to get patients to hospitals or other medical care.
“We will devote some time to discussing these types of issues, too,” Feyder said. “We want to get community feedback. There are lessons to be learned.”
Also, there may be some attention devoted to the use of social media as a source of information rather than official agency websites or representatives.
