President Barack Obama declared flood-ravaged regions of California a disaster area on Jan. 26, freeing up federal funding to repair damage from the winter storms to roads and public buildings in Santa Barbara County.
County Emergency Operations Chief Michael Harris said the aid would reimburse the county for about 94 percent of the roughly $3.5 million in damages from the torrential rains and flooding, based on preliminary assessments.
“The county and the individual cities will still have costs coming out of their pockets,” Harris said. “But the state and the federal government are certainly trying to help minimize that cost.”
Santa Barbara County was one of 10 counties in the state, including San Luis Obispo County, to qualify for public assistance. Harris said a majority of the funds would go to the North County, specifically to repair the Guadalupe Dunes access road, drainage systems, and two Santa Maria public health clinics.
Guadalupe Mayor Lupe Alvarez said he hopes there’s enough money available to protect the road to Guadalupe Beach from any further damage.
“I’m very pleased,” Alvarez said. “I think it’s good. I just wish that there might be some assistance for the homeowners and residents affected down there on lower Pioneer Street.”
About 100 homes received damage statewide, including several in the Guadalupe area. Harris said the state met the threshold of about $75 million in infrastructure damages to receive federal public assistance, but not the number of homes required to receive assistance for individuals.
However, Harris said, the state is still figuring out what help is available to homeowners and businesses, who could still receive aid through low interest loans from the Small Business Administration.“That door’s not quite closed,” he said.
Alvarez and Santa Maria Mayor Larry Lavagnino had pressed the federal government for the disaster funds since December. Then-acting Gov. Abel Maldonado declared a state of emergency for the county, and sent the requests to Obama for his approval.
Alvarez also expressed hopes the money could be used to further study an extension of the Santa Maria River Levee to Guadalupe’s sewer plant, which he said could cost up to $75 million to replace.
“If you lose the sewer plant, that affects the whole community,” Alvarez said. “It makes more sense to spend a few million to extend the levee than to have housing for an entire town because you lost your sewer plant.”
Harris said representatives from federal, state, and county governments will meet soon, possibly on Feb. 8, to find out what will be covered by the funding. Federal Emergency Management Agency and state representatives will tour the damaged areas to validate the estimates, and FEMA officials said additional funding could be made if warranted by future damage assessments.
This article appears in Feb 3-10, 2011.