From Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in California because of last month’s Napa Valley earthquake, releasing emergency federal funding for the state.
Nicholas George looks under a buckled highway just outside of Napa, California after earthquake struck the area in the early hours of August 24, 2014. California’s governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency Sunday following a strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake that seriously injured three people including a child and ignited fires in the scenic Napa valley wine region. The US Geological Service said that the quake was the most powerful to hit the San Francisco Bay area since the 1989 6.9-magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake. (Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images)
The White House announced the move in a statement Thursday nine days after Gov. Jerry Brown sent a letter to Obama requesting the declaration. Brown declared a state of emergency for California shortly after the magnitude-6.0 earthquake on Aug. 24.
The White House didn’t say how much money may be available, but a preliminary assessment by the governor’s office found $87 million in earthquake costs that could be eligible for federal reimbursement.
Funds for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the earthquake is available on a cost-sharing basis for the state along with some tribal and local governments and non-profit groups, the White House said.
The quake was the strongest to hit the San Francisco Bay area since a magnitude-6.9 quake in 1989 and did broad damage to Napa County and neighboring Solano County.
It broke water mains and gas lines and sparked gas-fed fires that destroyed several mobile homes. The worst damage came near the epicenter in downtown Napa, where a post office, library and a 141-room hotel were among 150 homes and buildings deemed unsafe to occupy.
Napa County has estimated overall damage from the quake at more than $400 million, much of it to the area’s famed wineries.
The quake’s first death did not come until Wednesday, when a 65-year-old woman died from her head injuries more than two weeks later. Scores more were injured.
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