SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to aid with repairs to the damaged Oroville Dam spillway and to bolster state and local recovery efforts following February storms that caused major flooding, levee breeches, the evacuation of residents, power outages and extensive damage to roads and bridges across California.
Governor Brown today also issued an emergency proclamation adding Contra Costa and Solano counties to the 48 other counties included in his March 7, 2017 State of Emergency due to storms in February.
Today’s request follows three other separate Presidential Major Disaster Declaration requests – granted last month and last week – to support the response efforts for the situation at the Oroville Dam, impacts of the early January storm system and impacts of the late January storm system. In addition, Governor Brown has issued emergency declarations connected to storms in December, early January and late January, and the Oroville Dam. Last month, Governor Brown announced a four-point plan to bolster dam safety and flood protection statewide.
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services has also previously requested assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration for individuals in Colusa, Lake, Lassen, Plumas, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, where the localized flooding from the February storms caused damage to more than 200 homes and businesses.
The Governor’s request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration due to February storms can be found here and the full text of the attested emergency proclamation issued today can be found here.