CALIFORNIA: United States President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster in the state of California, as the latest in a succession of storm systems brought heavy flooding to already waterlogged regions and threatened snowfalls of up to two metres (six feet).
The latest system was expected to bring “heavy lower-elevation rain, significant mountain snow, and strong winds,” with “another surge of Pacific moisture” expected on Monday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. It predicted “disastrous flooding” across the lower Salinas River valley, a key agricultural region south of San Francisco Bay.
Late on Saturday, Biden “declared that a major disaster exists in the State of California and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides”, the White House said in a statement.
“Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programmes to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster,” the statement said.
“Federal funding also is available to State, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in the counties of Merced, Sacramento, and Santa Cruz.” –Agencies
