President declares disaster in SB, SLO County - Santa Maria Times

President Barack Obama has been a disaster declaration Wednesday for parts of California, including Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties because of damage caused by recent storms.

The order makes federal funding available for repair and mitigation of risks.

Obama said that a major disaster in the state, because the issues related to storms from December 4 to January 17 is present, according to the White House. His statement included 10 counties disaster.

Federal funds available to states, tribes and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit, damaged in a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and repair or replacement of facilities under winter storms.

Federal funding is also the country on a cost-sharing measures for risk mitigation.

FEMA said additional designations at a later date could be made at the request of the state and marked as required by further assessment of the damage.

Officials Rescue in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, said the funds are needed, but made clear that federal funds are not designed for use by experienced private companies or individuals that storm.

Michael Harris, chief of emergency operations for the County of Santa Barbara, said that if private companies and consumer finance is still under review.

Late December, then acting governor Abel Maldonado announced a state of emergency for Santa Barbara County. A few days earlier, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a state of emergency in six countries, including in San Luis Obispo.

Harris said that for reimbursement of state funds and federal Santa Barbara County should be about 94 percent of eligible costs associated with the storm. With only the money from the state, the image would be about 75 per cent.

"It helps us back on our feet," he added.

The federal money will be the cost of clearing and repairing roads, "said Harris.

"We saw a lot of damage to roads, of course, the dunes in Guadalupe," he said.

Lupe Alvarez, Mayor of Guadalupe, where flooding prompted evacuations of homes, said he was grateful to take steps to Maldonado.

"If it were not for his efforts, the president does not consider Santa Barbara County, at this point," he said.

Alvarez said he hopes that federal funds used to continuously improve the access road to the beach and the town of Guadalupe, west of Highway 1 place to expand to protect businesses and other facilities in the region.

He noted, however, that his priority is to help the money for residents and owners who suffered storm damage.

Ron Alsop, emergency services director for the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services said that federal funding will be used throughout the county.

"It's really unusual, especially in the south of the county," he said.

There are an estimated 1.5 million $ 2,000,000 Authority costs related to the storm in San Luis Obispo County, said Alsop.

Roads and water systems were damaged, he said, and the landslide on Avila Beach Drive was an important event, because the crews in this course, access to Diablo Canyon and San Luis Port facilitate clear.