Gov. Declares Emergency in 7 Counties
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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Saturday for Los Angeles and six other California counties hit by last week’s powerful winter storms.
The governor had already declared an emergency in Ventura County, where 10 people died in a landslide, but extended his order to Los Angeles, Kern, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Santa Barbara counties.
The directive makes residents eligible for state assistance. “For people who had property damage to their home because of mudslides and flooding that was not covered by insurance policies, this opens the door to being able to apply for low-interest loans,” said Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn.
Hahn said he hoped the federal government would declare a disaster in California, which would help local governments recoup the cost of repairs.
The storms caused more than $150 million in damage to homes, roads and other property, mostly in Southern California.
Los Angeles County has reported more than $106 million in damage, with dozens of homes being red-tagged by inspectors because they have become unsafe.
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