Orange County declares emergency to seek aid for coastal storm damage

Orange County Board Chairman Doug Chaffee declared a local emergency over storm damage in the county’s southern coastal cities, according to NBC Los Angeles. Chaffee said estimates of damage to government property exceeded a $15 million federal aid threshold.

The declaration is intended to support a request for financial aid after storm waves damaged homes, beaches and barriers and disrupted coastal rail traffic. It also reflects concern that winter weather could worsen conditions, NBC Los Angeles reported.

NBC Los Angeles attributed the damage to Hurricane Maria and identified Dana Point, Laguna Beach and San Clemente as the affected coastal cities. The report said Chaffee signed the proclamation Thursday but did not specify the calendar date.

Chaffee told City News Service that an accounting of government-property damage exceeded what he described as the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s $15 million threshold. He said that finding changed his earlier reluctance to declare an emergency, according to NBC Los Angeles.

Board Vice Chair Katrina Foley had urged Chaffee to issue the declaration the previous week. The coastal cities had already taken local action: Dana Point declared an emergency Sept. 9, followed by Laguna Beach on Sept. 10 and San Clemente on Sept. 15.

The county declaration will go to the governor’s office and then to the federal government as part of the effort to obtain financial assistance, according to the report.

The county was working to schedule a special meeting for the following week to ratify the proclamation, NBC Los Angeles reported.