Santa Barbara County has proclaimed a local emergency due to damage caused by recent storm events. The declaration sets the stage for state and federal disaster relief funding.
Some parts of the county had more than 22 inches of rain from the Christmas and New Year’s storm systems. The heavy rainfall caused flooding on numerous streets, roads, and state highways and damaged several homes, businesses, and parks.
County officials report that the damage was substantial. The county’s loss alone is estimated at $7.5 million for its relief efforts, in addition to the cost of repairing damage to government facilities.
Santa Barbara County Mona Miyasato proclaimed a state of local emergency on Friday. County Supervisors are expected to ratify the action when they meet on Tuesday.
