Disaster Declaration Imminent, U.S. Says

Ten days after the rains left, the U.S. government said Thursday that it should only be a matter of time before Orange County is declared a federal disaster area, which would make residents eligible for additional government assistance.

Alex Newman, spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s regional office, said that federal investigators have been in the area since Monday and have completed their job. They will recommend to President Clinton that he declare the county a disaster area.

Among the areas to benefit would be Anaheim Hills, where 45 homes have been evacuated and 33 damaged by an ongoing landslide that is causing the ground to move up to one inch a day; San Clemente, where 36 homes were damaged by floods and slides; and Laguna Beach, where three homes slid down a hillside. Damage countywide is estimated to exceed $40 million.

The declaration would make the owners of properties damaged by the rains eligible for low-interest loans. It would also make local governments eligible for assistance to repair roads and other infrastructures damaged by the rains.

“The declaration could happen (today) or over the weekend or, at the latest, on Monday,” Newman said. “I say that assuming that the President will follow the investigators’ recommendation. Presidents always have in the past followed the recommendation, but this will be the first declaration for President Clinton.”

The delay in receiving the declaration caused some consternation among some Anaheim Hills homeowners during a Wednesday night meeting with city officials. One, referring to the President, asked: “When is Bill going to do something?”