Tuesday, October 28, 2014 • By Kurtis Alexander
A previous emergency declaration by President Obama cleared the way for federal funds to help cover an estimated $80 million in public infrastructure repairs, but it stopped short of helping individuals.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s new individual assistance program will provide money to Napa and Solano County residents for recovery. The amount depends on a household’s situation and is capped at slightly above $30,000.
“This is a very welcome announcement for those individuals that had their daily lives changed by this earthquake,” said stateOffice of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci in a prepared statement. “Additional federal resources like this program will be a huge help to everyone impacted, especially those struggling with major damages and limited personal resources.”
The 6.0-magnitude earthquake left more than 150 homes in Napa red-tagged, meaning they were uninhabitable, and damaged nearly 1,000. In Vallejo, at least 22 structures were red-tagged and nearly 200 more damaged.
“The earthquake damage was of a magnitude larger than any one sector could handle alone,” said Terence Mulligan, the chief executive of the Napa Valley Community Foundation. “Our community came together with one voice, and the president and FEMA heard us.”
Residents who want to learn more about FEMA’s Individual and Household Program can go to disasterassistance.gov or call (800) 621-3362.