U.S. to Provide ‘Half a Loaf’ on Disaster Aid for January Storm

The White House on Friday agreed to provide federal disaster assistance to local governments that sustained property damage in the fierce winter storm that swept across the Southern California coastline last month, but withheld financial aid from private individuals.

State and local officials said they were surprised and disappointed by the decision because they requested help for people who sustained losses in the turbulent weather that caused an estimated $68 million damage. They said they would seek other ways to assist private property owners and businesses.

Tom Mullins, a spokesman for the California Office of Emergency Services, said the state had expected a more favorable decision. But he added that his office will consider applying for funds on behalf of people who believe that they might qualify for low-interest loans. Such loans are provided by the Small Business Administration and the Farmers Home Administration.

Not Received Reasons

“We have not received the federal government’s reasons for turning down the request for private loans,” Mullins said. “But we will explore ways to qualify for those programs.”

“If the funds are not available, we will do all we can to make them available,” said Amy Piskura, a spokeswoman for Sen. Pete Wilson (R-Calif.), who announced the decision.

The assistance, which will come in the form of loans, will go to governments in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and Santa Barbara counties and to the City of Ventura. Those hoping to qualify for the funds must prove that “it is beyond their capability to cope with the situation at hand,” said Roy Gorup, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Officials have not determined how much aid is needed by local governments, which will only be able to apply for loans to cover structural damage. Gorup said problems caused by the storm were not severe enough to warrant private assistance, even though Gov. George Deukmejian requested loans for individuals when he declared several counties disaster areas.

Differing Criteria

“We have different types of eligibility criteria,” Gorup said. “And we didn’t think it was beyond the local agencies’ capabilities to handle the (problems) faced by individuals.”

In Redondo Beach, the area hardest hit by the Jan. 17 storm, officials said they were pleased to learn that the city will receive federal assistance for the damage sustained there but were disappointed that private citizens will not be included.

“At least we got something, and you know the old cliche: ‘Half a loaf is better than none,’ ” said City Councilwoman Kay Horrell, who estimated that city property sustained about $3 million worth of damage in the storm. “But we would rather have had the whole loaf.”

The January storm ravaged the coastline from Santa Barbara south to Ensenada, Mexico. Wind-driven, 25-foot waves tore away part of the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach and caused major structural damage to other businesses.

In Malibu, residents were evacuated from two apartment houses, and several homes were damaged. A 250-foot section of the Huntington Beach Pier collapsed into the surf, and tents belonging to homeless people on Venice Beach were blown away.