Last winter’s storms, particularly in March, caused an estimated $17 million in damages to Santa Cruz County. Roads were washed out, neighborhoods were flooded and mudslides blocked access routes to homes and neighborhoods. Yet the damage wasn’t severe enough to be considered a federal emergency, and FEMA has informed Gov. Jerry Brown that it will not be contributing to repair the damage.
“That is going to be devastating in our budget,” says Supervisor Mark Stone of Scotts Valley, who was counting on FEMA to cover 75 percent of the cost. “I don’t know where we will get the money if we don’t get state and federal help.”
The problem is especially severe in Capitola, which has already depleted its emergency reserves and at least part of its contingency reserve. Yet Capitola Councilmember Kirby Nicol understands the rationale behind FEMA’s decision. “We are not Tuscaloosa. We are not Joplin,” he said, referring to the towns in Alabama and Missouri that were ravaged by tornadoes this spring.
Gov. Brown has 30 days to appeal the FEMA decision. Considering the state’s other budget woes, he may have no choice. Read more at KION.
