Two Cities Declare Emergencies After Rain

Mudslides and floods caused by rain this month prompted two South County cities to declare local emergencies this week.

The San Clemente and Dana Point city councils approved resolutions that will allow the cities to apply for state and federal disaster aid. Laguna Beach passed a similar emergency declaration last week.

In San Clemente, about 3.75 inches of rain fell over the Feb. 7-8 weekend, bringing the city’s total for the season to 16.62 inches.

The rain caused extensive flooding at the Shorecliff Golf Course. Tides crashed into the Capistrano Shores Mobile Home Park. Sidewalks were uplifted and mud and debris caked several streets including Camino de Los Mares and Riachuelo.

City officials said storm-related damage has reached $601,600.

The council’s decision makes official an initial declaration made by City Manager Michael W. Parness on Feb. 10.

Dana Point has spent more than $100,000 to deal with storm damage. Several homes were weakened by flooding and a mudslide buried cars in the parking lot of a hotel.

Nearly all of the cleanup and preparation for the next round of storms has been completed, City Manager John B. Bahorski said.

“We will be living one storm at a time,” Bahorski said. “We’ll just have to see how weather patterns develop.”