Biden OKs federal aid as Riverside County, cities repair damage from Tropical Storm Hilary
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President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration Tuesday for Riverside County, freeing up federal funding as local officials and residents continue their cleanup efforts from Tropical Storm Hilary three months ago.
Biden’s declaration, announced by the White House, unlocks disaster funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency previously unavailable to local officials in Riverside County. The president approved a similar storm-related declaration for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in October.
Along with Riverside County, Tuesday's declaration also covers Imperial, Inyo, Kern and Siskiyou counties, stretching from the southernmost to the northernmost ends of the state.
The declaration makes public assistance funding available for local governments and certain nonprofits on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work on facilities damaged by Hilary. The federal dollars can also be used on a cost-sharing basis for “hazard mitigation measures,” according to the White House statement.
FEMA official Andrew Grant, who is also working on federal relief for the Agua Caliente tribe, was appointed to coordinate the federal recovery operations in the impacted areas. The White House said Tuesday that “additional designations may be made at a later date” if deemed necessary during further assessments.
More: Months after Tropical Storm Hilary, Horizon Road is slowly pulling itself back together
Gov. Gavin Newsom requested the declaration in early September, and California’s entire congressional delegation reiterated the request in a letter to the president later that month. In a statement last week, Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, who represents part of the valley, criticized Biden for not yet issuing a disaster declaration.
A few other programs, such as a Small Business Administration loan program and a county-level property tax relief program, were launched for residents dealing with Hilary’s impact. But many forms of aid depended on the presidential disaster declaration.
Tom Coulter covers the cities of Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. Reach him at thomas.coulter@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Biden OKs federal aid for Riverside County after Tropical Storm Hilary
