Countywide : State, Federal Flood Aid in O.C. Hits $2.5 Million

Federal and state money to help Orange County flood victims has reached more than $2.5 million, said William L. Rukeyser of the governor’s office of emergency services.

“In terms of storm disasters, it’s the most expensive in California,” Rukeyser said.

So far, 1,277 checks have been approved for flood victims in Orange County whose homes were rendered uninhabitable by the January storm.

When President Clinton declared California a federal disaster area Jan. 10, the estimated flood damage was more than $300 million. Since then, the estimate has grown to $1.3 billion.

“The government’s cost is not going to be near there. Many losses will be absorbed by insurance or by the owners of the houses or business,” Rukeyser said.

Rukeyser said he anticipates more claims to arrive, especially in non-English-speaking areas where residents may not know they were eligible for disaster services.

The agency has distributed pamphlets in Spanish, Korean, Cambodian, Vietnamese and Tagalog. The deadline to apply is March 13.

The grants are designed to help victims make their homes habitable again, Rukeyser said.

“We allow flood victims to get on with his or her life, to get back to work and not have to worry if the floor of your house is going to collapse.

“We’re not going to repaint your house to make it look like an interior decorator took care of it. If people fully insure their homes, then if they get flooded out they know somebody will come along to write them a big check so that they can replace everything the way it was before,” Rukeyser said.