SLO County saw more than $43 million in storm damage costs. Which city was hit the hardest?

A series of storms in January left San Luis Obispo County public infrastructure with more than $43 million of damage, according to emergency services officials.

Heavy rains and strong winds resulted in widespread flooding, fallen trees, mudslides, power outages and road closures. Residents in Los Osos and Oceano were displaced from their homes due to flooding and an Avila Beach resident died when her car was overtaken by floodwaters.

Meanwhile, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office continues to search for a missing San Miguel boy swept away in a Jan. 9 flood.

The storms damaged roads, bridges and buildings across the county, and repairs are still underway.

“We’re going to continue to attack all these repairs as quickly as we can, but it’s going to take a while, and could take years to get some of the infrastructure back up and running,” San Luis Obispo County Public Works Director John Diodati said at the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors’ Jan. 24 meeting.

How much has SLO County spent on repairs?

According to San Luis Obispo County Emergency Services Coordinator Rachel Dion, damage to county-owned infrastructure has totaled $43,404,400 so far.

SLO County has already spent $3,037,000 on repairs for four major pieces of county infrastructure, according to a county report.

Repairs to the Arroyo Grande Creek levee cost a total of $1,387,000 so far, the report said.

The levee overflowed during the storm, flooding some Oceano homes and forcing area residents to evacuate.

The county also paid for $750,000 for repairs to the Lake Nacimiento water pipeline, $550,000 to Salinas River water system facilities and $350,000 to the Lopez Lake water system facilities, according to the report.

The county also has a list of roads, bridges and buildings that still need repairs after the storm.

Originally, the county paid for construction costs with its General Fund and emergency reserve funding, Diodati said at the meeting.

The county’s goal is to be fully reimbursed from the state and federal government for emergency construction costs, he said.

“The goal is full reimbursement,” Diodati said. “We work closely with the (Office of Emergency Services) staff to make sure that we’re approaching all the contracts correctly.”

President Joe Biden updated his disaster declaration to include SLO County on Jan. 17, making the county eligible for federal disaster relief funds, according to county Emergency Services Director Scott Jalbert.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers disaster relief funding to local governments through its Public Assistance Program, FEMA spokesperson Renee Bafalis said.

Biden authorized FEMA to provide SLO County with 100% reimbursement for debris removal and emergency measures for SLO County for the first 60 days of the disaster, Bafalis said.

Eventually, FEMA may also be able to offer SLO County funding for longer-term repairs, Bafalis said.

“It’s very possible that additional categories could be added,” Bafalis said.

Cities hit with millions of dollars in storm damages

Of the seven cities in San Luis Obispo County, Morro Bay was hit the hardest by the storms, city officials said.

City-owned infrastructure sustained about $20 million of damage, according to Morro Bay City Manager Scott Collins.

Repairs are needed for harbor infrastructure, the old wastewater treatment plant, storm drains, parks, trees and roads, Collins said, as well as cleanup on Main Street and Atascadero Road.

Pismo Beach experienced about $16,375,000 worth of storm damages, Pismo Beach Assistant City Manager Jorge Garcia said.

Here’s a breakdown of the city’s repair costs:

• Margo Dodd Park, $7,000,000

• Palisades and Ocean Park, $5,000,000

• Pier Avenue Storm Drain, $2,200,000

• Pier Avenue Stairs, $1,500,000

• Eldwayen Point, $600,000

• Price Canyon Road, $75,000

The storms also battered San Luis Obispo, leaving the city with between $7 million and $9 million of damage to public property, according to SLO Business Services and Administrative Manager Rebecca Bernstorff.

Arroyo Grande saw about $1.2 million in storm damages to infrastructure, according to Arroyo Grande City Clerk Jessica Matson.

According to Paso Robles Public Works Director Freda Berman, Paso Robles experienced about $200,000 of storm damages, with affected areas including the public safety center, the senior center, Centennial Park, the Paso Robles City Library, Fire Station 2, Larry Moore Park.

Clean up and repairs were also needed on North and South River Road; Airport Road; Vine Street at 23rd Street; 21st Street at Railroad Street; Bolen Drivet and the Salinas River Trail, Berman said.

Grover Beach was left with about $40,000 of damage, Grover Beach City Manager Matthew Bronson said.

This includes repairs to pavement, curbs and a flooded intersection, he said.

Atascadero did not have an estimate of storm damage costs as of Jan. 27, Atascadero Deputy City Manager Terrie Banish said.

FEMA provides assistance to SLO County residents

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is offering individual assistance to SLO County residents, which are grants that reimburse SLO County residents for rent, lodging, transportation, childcare and property damage that isn’t covered by insurance, Bafalis said.

Folks can register for FEMA assistance at disasterassistance.gov. The deadline to register for aid is March 16, Bafalis said.

As of Monday, 1,128 SLO County residents had applied for FEMA assistance, and the agency had dispersed $1,531,056 in grants, according to Dion.

“We are here to sort of help people get back on their feet,” Bafalis said.

The maximum amount of aid FEMA can allocate to an individual is $40,000, Bafalis said, though it’s more likely that folks will receive $2,000 to $4,000 depending on their situation.

“It’s very rarely that folks get maximum grant unless their home is completely destroyed and they had no insurance,” Bafalis said.

When folks apply for FEMA aid, an inspector will visit their residence to document the damages, and FEMA will decide what assistance they’re eligible for.

Applicants will receive varying levels of aid depending on the damages to their property, and then receive a letter about what aid they are eligible for, Bafalis said.

Bafalis encouraged folks to read the entire letter even if it says that they’re not eligible.

“We want people to be very diligent in looking at those letters completely,” Bafalis said. “We may need additional information from you. Maybe the information we have is not correct. Maybe we’re waiting for your insurance to let you know exactly what they’ll cover because we can’t duplicate.”

FEMA aid is not guaranteed, she said.

FEMA’s partner agency, the federal Small Business Administration, offers low-interest disaster assistance loans to homeowners, renters, businesses and non-profits to help them rebuild, Bafalis said.

SLO County opened a Disaster Recovery Center at the San Luis Obispo Veterans Memorial Building, 801 Grand Ave. in San Luis Obispo, where people can go for help with applying for aid.

Agencies such as San Luis Obispo County Behavioral Health, Environmental Health and Planning and Building departments; the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the IRS, insurance services, the Small Business Administration, nonprofit organizations and the San Luis Obispo County agricultural commissioner, assessor and Clerk-Recorder’s Office will have information available at the center, an Emergency Services news release said.

The facility is open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, call 805-781-5678 or go to recoverslo.org.