FEMA News: "President Declares Major Disaster For California." #FEMA

The federal government has made disaster assistance available to help Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial, Calaveras and Siskiyou counties pay for costs stemming from severe winter storms January and February.

Funding is available to state and local governments and some private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and repair or replacement of facilities damaged by storms from Jan. 17 to Feb. 6, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a statement. 

"This action by President Obama will get assistance where it's needed most," Schwarzenegger said Monday. "It will also help reduce a significant portion of the financial burden the storms have placed on communities throughout California." 

The FEMA announcement specifies "public assistance" is available for emergency work in six California counties. The agency noted "individual assistance" is not part of the disaster declaration.
Under Obama's declaration, assistance for state and affected local governments can include payment of 75 percent of eligible costs for:

• Repairing and replacing damaged public facilities such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas and similar publicly owned property, as well as certain private nonprofit community service organizations;
• Removing debris from public areas, and for emergency measures taken to save lives and protect property and public health;
• Hazard mitigation projects to prevent long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said. According to the governor's office, the state identified more than $59.1 million in storm costs and damage eligible for reimbursement through FEMA and more than $33.3 million eligible for reimbursement through the Federal Highway Administration.