Mayor Todd Gloria said Thursday that he has been in contact with the White House in an attempt to secure federal disaster relief funds for those hard hit by recent heavy rains and flooding.
Gloria on Wednesday spoke with Vice President Kamala Harris about the impacts of the storm that pummeled San Diego on Monday, flooding neighborhoods in Southcrest, Mountain View, Encanto, Mount Hope and Shelltown.
He said “it was comforting to receive Vice President Harris’ sincere offer to be helpful in our time of need.”
In many cases, (families’) lives were forever changed in the span of 20 minutes or less,” the mayor said. “We are working with the state and county governments to demonstrate that we have met the thresholds to secure a federal disaster declaration so we can mobilize even more assistance that our affected communities and families desperately need.”
As part of a separate effort, the city is close to concluding the process of estimating financial costs due to damage to public facilities and assets. That information will be sent to the state Office of Emergency Services through San Diego County officials.
If countywide costs to public facilities reach $15.1 million and statewide losses reach $72.7 million, the federal government can consider a disaster declaration, triggering financial assistance to reimburse the city for repairs.
Local civic and community groups are also mobilizing to offer aid.
The San Diego Foundation announced that it has coordinated with the county to launch the San Diego Flood Response Fund to rapidly deploy flexible resources into the community.
The city and county of San Diego, along with Gov. Gavin Newsom, have declared a state of emergency due to the flooding. Damages are estimated at millions of dollars and with perhaps hundreds of San Diegans without homes.
The County of San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce will provide grant funding and technical assistance to businesses affected by the emergency in San Diego City Council District 4, which encompasses most of southeast San Diego, including Encanto, Mountain View, Skyline and Lincoln Park.
“We understand the devastating impact that the recent flooding has had on businesses in District 4, and we are committed to providing immediate support to help them recover and rebuild,” said Donna DeBerry, president and CEO of the chamber. “Based on the numerous requests from our local businesses in need in Southeast San Diego, we know that there is a desperate need for financial help.”
The chamber encourages affected local businesses in District 4 to apply for grant funding and assistance online.
City News Service contributed to this report