NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Moving to help communities recover from the South Napa Earthquake, Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for the state and issued an executive order to help cut red tape and provide additional financial assistance.
“I request that you declare a major disaster for the State of California as a result of the South Napa Earthquake that affected Napa, Solano, and Sonoma Counties,” Governor Brown wrote in a letter sent to the White House Tuesday. “Economic impacts of this event will be extensive. The earthquake caused significant damage throughout the region.”
A Presidential Major Disaster Declaration triggers the release of federal funds to help communities recover and the executive order provides additional financial assistance to local agencies and nonprofit organizations and ensures residents can replace important documents and access key services without shouldering additional costs or other burdens.
Brown declared a state of emergency shortly after the 6.0 magnitude South Napa Earthquake on Aug. 24.
Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) also called on President Obama to issue a major disaster declaration for the areas impacted by the Aug. 24 earthquake.
The letter to the president, led by Thompson was also signed by Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA-12), and Congressmen Jared Huffman (CA-1) and John Garamendi (CA-3).
“The earthquake hit our communities hard and federal assistance is needed for our area to fully recover from the damage that was caused,” said Thompson. “I stand ready to help expedite any support and resources because the sooner we get aid from the federal government, the sooner we can begin rebuilding and repairing our homes, businesses, and infrastructure.”
If federal assistance is approved by the president, funds from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may be available for individuals to help rebuild and repair housing, and for local communities to repair public infrastructure.
Small Business Administration (SBA) loans may be available to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property, inventory, and supplies.
Homeowners and renters may also be eligible for SBA loans to repair or replace disaster-related damages to homes or personal property.
The state and local governments have conducted damage assessments and have determined that the extent of the damages are beyond their capacity to repair without federal assistance.
FEMA does not provide for assistance if there is another option in place, like insurance. All individuals should contact their insurance companies first to see what benefits, if any, their plan provides.
A full copy of the letter the members of Congress sent to President Obama is below.
August 29, 2014
The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
We write to you in strong support of the State of California’s request for a major disaster declaration to provide much-needed assistance to our State for damages resulting from the August 24, 2014, earthquake.
On August 24th, at 3:20 a.m., an earthquake measuring 6.1 struck 3.7 miles northwest of American Canyon near the West Napa Fault. As you know, this was the strongest quake to strike the region since 1989. As a result, there has been significant damage to homes, businesses, public buildings, and infrastructure throughout our communities. Governor Edmund G. Brown promptly declared a State of Emergency, noting the impact in Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties. It is clear to us and local authorities that a major disaster declaration is critical to helping our State recover and rebuild.
Therefore, we strongly support the State of California’s request for a major disaster declaration. We appreciate your consideration of this request and we are ready to assist you in expediting support and resources to the impacted communities.