Hazel Nguyen played in the puddles on Escalona Drive in Santa Cruz during a walk with her sister Sanya Ciervo on Sunday afternoon in the rain. (Shmuel Sailor – Santa Cruz Sentinel)
President Joe Biden declared storm damage in Santa Cruz County a catastrophe late Saturday, paving the way for federal aid, after a respite from a barrage of storms earlier Sunday. A long line followed in what was expected to be the final round… of severe weather.
In a prepared statement, Biden called on the federal government to supplement state and local recovery efforts in areas affected by severe winter storms, floods, landslides and landslides that began December 27. ordered assistance. Merced, Sacramento, Santa Cruz.
“Aid includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover the loss of uninsured property, and helping individuals and business owners recover from the effects of disasters. This includes other programs that Statement from the White House read.
This announcement was made on behalf of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Dean Criswell, FEMA Region 9 Administrator Robert Fenton Jr., California Emergency Services Principal Deputy Director Lisa Mangut, and other state and state officials. It took place after federal emergency officials visited on Saturday.
“We would like to thank FEMA Administrator Deanna Criswell, CalOES Chief Deputy Deputy Lisa Mangat and their team for visiting us to better understand the extent of the damage we are facing across the county. Throughout the recovery process. We look forward to working closely with our state and federal partners,” said David Reed, Santa Cruz County’s Director of Response, Recovery, and Resilience, in a statement.
The Declaration provides support not only to families and individuals, but also to local governments and non-profit organizations.
This may include financial support for cleaning and sanitation, repairs, and other services to eligible institutions and households. Additional resources may be available, such as referral lists and legal aid.
There are 3 ways to apply. DisasterAssistance.govdownload the FEMA app or call the bilingual FEMA Helpline: 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585).
“The people of California’s 19th congressional district are tough and resilient. But their lives and livelihoods have been severely impacted by these violent storms and they need federal help,” said US Congressman. “We thank President Biden for his prompt response to our request for this disaster declaration, and for expediting the Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Clara counties to this designation,” Jimmy Panetta said in a prepared statement. We must now make federal resources available and accessible to those and local governments hardest hit by these storms.”
After the floods returned on Saturday, most areas of the county were likely to dry out early Sunday before the rains returned. Most of the county’s evacuation orders were lifted by Saturday afternoon. The rain was expected to spread across the region by Sunday afternoon and continue until around noon Monday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Colby Goatley. The near future is likely to record the last major rainfall to hit the region, offering the state an opportunity to recover from near-constant storms that have killed at least 19 people across California since late December. There is a possibility.
San Francisco and Oakland could receive an additional 0.5 to 1 inch, while San Jose, Livermore and Half Moon Bay could receive 1 to 1.5 inches. About 1 to 2 inches of rain is expected in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Central Coast.
Total rainfall is not as high as in previous storms, but Goatry stressed that the area is at risk of flooding due to the very inundated soil. Can’t handle more water.
“The ground is still saturated,” says Goatley. “There is still a good chance of spills and localized flooding. I just want everyone to stay vigilant. But hopefully this is the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Flood monitoring remains in place for much of the Bay Area through Monday evening. In addition, coastal flood advisories have been issued for areas along the Pacific coast due to a combination of storm surge cycles, high winds and large runoff.
Sunday and Monday winds are expected to be less violent than previous atmospheric river storms, with city center gusts expected to reach 10 to 20 miles per hour, but higher elevations and coastal areas can see gusts. Gusts of 20 to 30 miles can be seen.
“Thankfully, this is not as average a system as it has been in the past few events,” Goatley said.
Over the past few weeks, California has been hit by a series of storms fed by atmospheric rivers flowing through the Pacific Ocean, causing tens of thousands of people to be warned or ordered to evacuate and wreaking havoc on communities across the state. is bringing
To the east, the Sierra is expected to snow again, with 12 to 18 inches of fresh powder falling over Donner, with echoes expected to pass through Monday evening. Up to 2 feet of snow can fall on the Ebbets, Sonora, and Tioga passes.
In addition to the impressive amount of snowfall across the Sierra Nevada in recent weeks, the region’s snowfall has doubled its normal average for this time of year.
About 7.5 feet of snow fell at the University of California, Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Laboratory near Donner Summit alone last week, the weather outpost reported Sunday morning. This includes about 2 feet of snow cover over the past 24 hours, plus 42.7 inches of snow cover since Friday morning.
Weather stations had already received 92% of normal snowfall by April 1st.
But relief could be on the way.
Clear skies should return on Tuesday before the last rain hits the Bay Area on Wednesday afternoon. However, that system should be nothing like the previous series of storms that have flooded the area over the past few weeks. is expected to be barely reached.
After that, clear skies should return to the Greater Bay Area at least through the first part of the weekend.
Sentinel Editor-in-Chief Tom Wright contributed to this report.
