South L.A. Declared a Disaster Area

Gov. Gray Davis declared parts of southern Los Angeles County a disaster area on Friday, while donations and other relief began rolling in for those whose homes and businesses were damaged in Wednesday night’s freak rain and hail storm.

The disaster designation applies to Watts, South Gate and Compton. It will enable storm victims to apply for low-interest loans and other state and federal assistance.

Davis told victims lined up for food and other emergency aid at a Los Angeles County Department of Social Services relief site that he was praying there would be no more disasters before he turns the governor’s office over to Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday.

“I looked up at the sky and said, ‘God, please let this be the last disaster of my term,’ ” he said.

About 130 homes and businesses were damaged when about five inches of rain pelted neighborhoods in a two-hour period.

Also Friday, the parent company of the supermarket chains Ralphs and Food 4 Less distributed $30,000 worth of groceries and other supplies at the Florence-Firestone Service Center in South Los Angeles.

The donation was part of a relief effort coordinated by county Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, whose district includes the hard-hit communities.

Meanwhile, the California Highway Patrol became the first to help replace the Christmas toys that Watts community leader “Sweet” Alice Harris had been collecting for needy children before the rain flooded her home and destroyed them.

Two CHP motorcycle officers arrived at her house Friday morning, followed soon after by a truck bearing boxes and boxes of clothes for Barbie dolls.

“Some of us thought they were here to write us tickets,” Harris said, “but what a surprise! This is a miracle!”

She said she was expecting the dolls would follow soon and was hoping for donations of bicycles and soccer balls and basketballs.

“We have a way of making things happen,” said Harris, who, with her neighbors, has been providing Christmas toys for local children for years.

Also damaged in the storm were the Watts Towers.

Work will begin Monday to repair 300 decorative tile and glass fragments that were dislodged by hail, the curator of the state-owned site said.

King/Drew Medical Magnet High School in Willowbrook, which was flooded during the storm, will reopen Monday, the Los Angeles Unified School District announced.

The school’s 1,700 students were advised to bring lunch from home, as the cafeteria was damaged. Food will be provided for students covered by the free federal lunch program, district officials said.