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By Miriam Raftery
February 20, 2024 (San Diego) President Joe Biden yesterday declared a major disaster in California, making federal funding available to help those who suffered flood damages from January 21-23 in San Diego County, including residents and businesses.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service.
The President ordered federal assistance to supplement state tribal, and local recovery efforts from the severe storm.
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 is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
The federal disaster declaration comes three weeks after it was requested by both Governor Gavin Newsom and San Diego Congresswoman Sara Jacob.
Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
N. Allison Pfaender of the Federal Emergency Management Agency was appointed to coordinate federal recovery operations, according to the White House.
The storm brought over 2 inches of rain to many local communities in just two hours on January 22, making it the fourth wettest day in San Diego since 1850, according to the National Weather Service. Residents in some southeast San Diego communities such as Encanto, Southcrest, Mountain View and Rolando had several feet of water inside their homes, as creeks and storm drains overflowed. Some parts of Spring Valley, La Mesa, Coronado and other areas also had significant flood damage.
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