Sutter County eligible for FEMA public assistance
Feb. 21—Nearly a month after a series of severe winter storms impacted parts of the northern and central valley, additional counties in California — including Sutter County — are now eligible to apply for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Public Assistance program.
Other eligible counties include Amador, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Napa, Nevada, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano, Stanislaus, Tehama and Tuolumne.
According to officials, these counties experienced flooding, landslides and mudslides during the storms that took place between Dec. 27, 2022, and Jan. 31. Throughout the first few weeks of January, Sutter County experienced significant flooding within some of its backroads.
A local state of emergency was declared by Sutter County supervisors to address a number of flooded roads in the southern portion of the county as well as the Sutter Bypass, the Appeal previously reported. Residents of Lovey's Landing, a commercial trailer park in Meridian, were also given orders to evacuate on Jan. 9 after the Sacramento River was expected to rise above the 65-foot elevation at Colusa Bridge.
The storms persisting throughout January also contributed to a number of power outages in Yuba and Sutter counties and difficult driving conditions.
Officials said that FEMA's Public Assistance program provides reimbursement to local and state government agencies for the costs of emergency response, debris removal and restoration of disaster-damaged public facilities and infrastructure.
This program also encourages protection from future events for damaged facilities by providing assistance for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery process.
Houses of worship and some nonprofit organizations may also qualify for the program, officials said.
