Josh Kleinbaum
As officials from state and federal agencies assessed damage Thursday
caused by two weeks of storms and mudslides, Glendale officials upped
their damage estimate to $27 million. Recouping that money from state
grants and federal loans could take some time, though.
The rains that pounded the Los Angeles area from Dec. 26 through
Jan. 11 caused mudslides and power outages in Glendale, inflicting
$24 million in damage to public property and $3 million to private
property.
City officials believe they will be able to recoup 75% of those
costs from state reimbursements since Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
issued a state of emergency for the area. The city will have to apply
for the funds and prove the damage was caused by storms.
For now, the city is focusing on stabilizing the hillsides and
assessing the damage.
"When we finish going through all of the issues that we need to
deal with, we'll prioritize those issues and then look at what
funding options are available," Public Works Director Steve Zurn
said. "For those that are higher priority, we'll get on right away.
We're not necessarily waiting just to see how the state funding
goes."
Residents with damage to private property may have less luck. Even
though officials from Federal Emergency Management Agency and the
state's Office of Emergency Services surveyed the damage in Glendale
on Thursday, federal funds have not been approved for private
property damaged in the storms.
The state's emergency funds are reserved for public agencies.
Low-interest loans are available to private residents only if the
federal government declares a state of emergency for the area, and
Schwarzenegger has not yet asked President Bush to do so.
"The governor did not ask the president to proclaim a state of
emergency, because the damage assessments are ongoing," said Cheryl
Tankersley, spokeswoman for the state's Office of Emergency Services.
"That decision will be made later. Other types of assistance that
we're looking into could include loans from the [United States] Small
Business Administration. The Small Business Administration does not
require a federal declaration."
All residents should report any damage of private property to the
city to assure accurate damage assessments, Tankersley said. The city
is keeping its emergency hotline open for residents to report
problems or seek guidance.
Seven residential buildings remain uninhabitable, and two city
streets -- Cavanaugh Street and Camino San Rafael -- have suffered
