For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 3, 2006
Statement on Federal Assistance for California
The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of
California and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local
recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, flooding,
mudslides, and landslides from December 17, 2005, through and including
January 3, 2006.
The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected
individuals in the counties of Contra Costa, Del Norte, Lake, Marin,
Mendocino, Napa, Sacramento, Siskiyou, Solano, and Sonoma.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs,
low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to
help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the
disaster.
Federal funding also is available to State and eligible local
governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a
cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of
facilities damaged by the severe storms, flooding, mudslides, and
landslides in the counties of Alpine, Amador, Butte, Colusa, Contra
Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Mendocino,
Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo,
San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter,
Trinity, Yolo, and Yuba.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard
mitigation measures statewide.
R. David Paulison, Acting Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Thomas P. Davies as the
Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the
affected area.
The Agency said additional designations may be made at a later date if
requested by the State and warranted by the results of further damage
assessments.
The Agency said that residents and business owners who sustained losses
in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by
registering online at http://www.fema.gov or by
calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and
speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 8
a.m. to 6 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: FEMA (202) 646-4600.
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