Capps Applauds Obama Decision to Issue Major Disaster Declaration for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties

WASHINGTON- Today Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif) announced that President Obama has issued a Major Disaster Declaration for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. The issuance of the Declaration allows Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo county to apply for federal assistance to repair or replace facilities affected by flooding, mud flows, and debris from the record rainfalls in December. All California counties are also eligible to apply for Hazard Mitigation Grants to help county governments plan for and prevent damage from future natural hazards.

“I applaud the President for taking the necessary steps to ensure that Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, and all of California, have the needed resources to repair the damage from the winter storms and flooding,” said Capps.

On January 4th, Capps joined Sens. Feinstein and Boxer on a letter to the President requesting the Major Disaster Declaration. A copy of the letter is below:

Dear Mr. President:

We write today to ask you to declare a Major Disaster Declaration in the State of California as a result of the recent torrential rains and heavy snow in 11 counties in our state.

As you know, the threshold for a Federal Major Disaster in the State of California is set at $44,033,142 by the Stafford Act. Last week the Governor certified that the costs of this event have already exceeded $109,000,000— clearly surpassing this threshold.

The current weather system has brought heavy rains, up to six feet of snow, 60-mile-per-hour winds and six-foot coastal tides Kern, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Tulare, Los Angles, Santa Barbara, Kings, Inyo and San Diego Counties. Furthermore, the damage continues to mount as rain and snow are still falling across the state. The extreme weather has caused damage to roads, schools, farms, and other private property. Thousands of homeowners have been evacuated due to flooding and threat of mudslides; thousands more have lost power and are struggling to stay warm.

In light of these tragic events, we urge you to quickly declare a disaster so that the State and residents of affected areas can begin to recover. We thank you for your consideration and look forward to your favorable response.

Sincerely,
Lois Capps