Bush Declares Disaster in Quake Zone : Emergency: President clears way for federal agencies to make low-interest loans to businesses and residents affected by twin temblors.

President Bush declared a federal disaster Thursday in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, paving the way for millions of dollars in U.S. funds to be funneled into earthquake-damaged areas.

In the meantime, water service was gradually being restored to the hard-hit zones of Yucca Valley, 120 miles east of Los Angeles. But 1,500 households in nearby Landers--at the epicenter of Sunday morning’s strongest temblor--were expected to remain without running water through the weekend.

Official damage totals from government authorities stood at $92 million. Meanwhile, a Jet Propulsion Laboratory spokesman in Pasadena disclosed that the Goldstone tracking station was knocked out for several weeks. The station is one of three worldwide tracking sites for deep-space probes sent by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the European Space Agency.

The quakes also effectively canceled the summer observing season at Caltech’s Big Bear Solar Observatory by damaging equipment there, said Harold Zirin, observatory director.

Following Bush’s disaster declaration in Washington, Wallace E. Stickney, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, designated the two counties eligible for U.S. aid for stricken residents and local governments.

“We’ll take any help we can get,” said Marge Crouter, a councilwoman from Yucca Valley, the hard-hit desert town north of Palm Springs.

State authorities have discovered damage in more than 4,000 homes and 175 businesses, plus numerous government buildings and roads in a broad arc of Southern California’s high desert and mountains.

The quakes left more than 350 injured, 25 of them seriously, and killed one child. They also left hundreds seeking shelter with friends, relatives and the American Red Cross, or simply camping out.

Individuals, businesses, governments and others have donated huge amounts of food, water, clothing and other necessities throughout the quake zone. The Marine Corps and California National Guard also helped distribute water.

Gov. Pete Wilson, who issued a state disaster declaration after Sunday’s twin quakes, had requested the federal aid, triggering the presidential decree. Federal officials are expected to open two disaster offices in the stricken region next week.

Among other things, residents and business owners could qualify for low-interest loans to cover uninsured losses. Small businesses, farmers and ranchers could qualify for loans of up to $500,000 to cover production and property losses.

For residents, other potential benefits include rental payments for up to 18 months for those whose homes are uninhabitable; grants for home repairs and other needs, and unemployment payments for those who lost jobs as a result of the disaster and do not qualify for state benefits.

Those seeking federal disaster assistance can call (800) 462-9029, or (800) 462-7585 for the hearing and speech impaired, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week.

Already, state officials managing California’s new residential earthquake insurance program have received 2,500 claims for damages to homes from the Landers and Big Bear quakes, said Kenneth Burt, an aide to state Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi. Adjusters will be dispatched next week to evaluate the claims.

JPL spokesman Alan Wood said the Goldstone station, 40 miles northeast of Barstow, was receiving data from Pioneer 10 beyond the planet Neptune at 4:58 a.m. when the Landers quake struck.

The temblor damaged the facility’s largest antenna and shook loose a subreflector that will have to be repaired and bolted into place. Some data was lost. There was no estimate on the cost of the damage.