City of Holtville Declares State of Emergency After powerful Storm
Holtville, CA – August 26, 2025 – The City of Holtville has declared a local state of emergency following an extreme weather event that struck on Monday afternoon, August 25. The storm brought gale-force winds, heavy dust, and sudden downpours, leaving widespread damage across the community.
According to the Imperial Irrigation District (IID), roughly 4,000 customers lost power at the height of the storm. While many services have since been restored, nearly 400 customers remain without electricity, and more than 200 power poles are still down across Imperial County.
The powerful winds caused multiple trees to topple, including one that fell onto a Holtville family’s home. The residence sustained severe damage, leaving the family displaced. Without homeowners insurance or the funds to hire a tree service, they are now seeking community support to help remove the fallen tree. Anyone in the Imperial Valley with equipment, crews, or resources is encouraged to step forward. Even sharing this information could help connect the family with the right assistance.
In response to the storm, Holtville personnel activated the Emergency Operations Center at City Hall, operating with limited power supplied by an emergency generator. City staff provided water, temporary shelter assistance, and emergency electricity for medical devices to help residents affected by the outages.
Crews are continuing efforts to clear fallen debris, reopen blocked roadways and sidewalks, and assess the full extent of damage to city property.
On Tuesday, Mayor Mike Goodsell, Fire Chief Alex Silva, and City Manager Nick Wells signed a formal Declaration of a State of Emergency. The order, which will be ratified by the City Council at its next meeting, allows Holtville to coordinate resources and seek additional support to protect public health and safety.
Imperial County also issued a countywide emergency declaration on August 26 in response to the severe weather across the region