Gavin Newsom budgets millions for flood recovery. Will it help this Central Valley town?

The Central Valley’s flood-damaged communities like Planada could soon receive state funding for flood preparedness, response and recovery as they grapple with the long-term impacts of California’s winter storms.

On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom released his revised budget, which included $290 million in new funding for flood protection and preparedness. This includes $150 million for disaster response and recovery in flood-impacted communities.

The Merced County unincorporated town of Planada was submerged under flood waters during January’s atmospheric river. The storm, which forced 4,000 Planada residents to evacuate, ruined homes as well as elementary school facilities.

Four months after the storm, Central Valley legislators, researchers, community advocates and residents say the community still needs millions of dollars to support home remediation, infrastructure needs, vehicle damage, funding assistance for renters, and home inspections.

State Sen. Anna Caballero, a Democrat from Merced, said in a statement that the $150 million earmarked for recovery efforts in the revised budget is “a huge first step forward.”

“Although this was a lean budget year, I commend the Governor for his leadership in prioritizing communities like Planada and Pajaro who were severely impacted by flooding,” Caballero said.

Earlier this month, Caballero requested $20 million for Planada, after an analysis from the UC Merced Community and Labor Center found that federal aid did not cover total recovery needs. Researchers found that the average estimated home remediation cost was $34,518, yet the average amount of aid was only $11,628.

Furthermore, researchers found that 64% of households with flood-damaged property were ineligible for federal disaster assistance, since many Planada residents are undocumented and have “unique barriers to aid,” or because people living in irregular housing, such as in garages or recreational vehicles, did not qualify for certain forms of aid.

Community advocacy group Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability also welcomed the news of the governor’s flood response funding.

“We’re very glad to see increased investment in flood recovery and response in the May revise,” Madeline Harris, a regional policy manager, said in an interview with The Bee/Fresnoland on Friday.

Harris said Leadership Counsel wants to ensure, however, that there’s sufficient funding to address “the full scope of needs” in communities like Planada and Allensworth that are dealing with flooding impacts.

“Planada alone needs at least $20.3 million to recover,” Harris said.

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It’s not immediately clear how the governor plans to disperse the $150 million.

The governor pulled $125 million out of drought response funding to support flood preparedness, response and recovery. Although Planada isn’t specifically named in the governor’s proposed budget, the summary says that funding includes “supporting communities and vulnerable populations, such as farmworkers, from these impacts and to better withstand future flood events.”

Another $25 million will be used for additional disaster relief and response costs in this fiscal year.

As for Caballero, she said she’s committed to working “on behalf of community members who need relief,” while state Sen. Melissa Hurtado, a Democrat from Bakersfield, said in a statement Thursday that her “highest priority” this legislative session will be ensuring the “much needed funding” for Central Valley’s flood impacted communities is included in this year’s state budget.

The state legislature must pass the budget bill for the 2023-24 fiscal year by June 15.