REGION : Victims of Flooding Can Apply for Grants

Long Beach officials announced plans this week to offer grants of up to $4,000 to help flood victims repair damage from heavy rains in recent weeks.

Most of the damage occurred during a fierce downpour on Jan. 4. The storm, which dumped up to six inches of rain in less than 24 hours, flooded hundreds of homes and businesses in Long Beach. City officials said 82 residential and commercial buildings sustained significant damage.

Hawaiian Gardens officials approved a similar grant program last week.

Lynwood, La Habra Heights and Signal Hill have joined a growing list of cities that have declared local states of emergency because of flooding.

Although scattered damage was reported in La Habra Heights, Lynwood and Signal Hill, officials said they approved emergency declarations so that victims could be eligible for federal assistance. The declarations also enable the cities to seek reimbursement of storm-related expenses.

In Signal Hill, 19 homes and 10 businesses were damaged, Police Chief Michael R. McCrary said. He added that those numbers will probably rise. Damage was estimated at $500,000.

In Lynwood, floodwaters filled several houses and damaged some streets throughout the city. “We actually fared pretty well compared to some cities, but if there is some damage, we want to be able to be eligible for federal assistance,” said Roger Haley, assistant to the city manager.

Rain runoff seeped into about half a dozen homes in semirural La Habra Heights, but none were severely damaged, said Ron Shinn, the city’s emergency services coordinator. The city primarily wants to recover its costs of clearing mud and debris from roads, storm drains and culverts, he said.