Amador County - Amador County roads suffered up to $1.6 million in damage in a mid-March heavy rainstorm, and the Board of Supervisors ratified a declaration of an emergency in a special meeting Tuesday, in the start to seeking federal relief funds.
Undersheriff Jim Wegner, acting as Deputy Director of Emergency Services, declared an emergency on Friday, April 1, and the declaration was pending Supervisors' ratification. That approval was given unanimously, along with a request through the California Emergency Management Association (EMA) and the Governor to make a request for a Presidential declaration.
Wegner said the declaration was the first step toward getting federal funding, should it become available. He said the state threshold is $44 million for the state to be able to get the funding. Wegner made the declaration because of the amount of damage to county roads, and the resulting "conditions of extreme peril."
The storm hit March 16 and dropped several inches of rain in a short period and caused damage in multiple counties. Dana Owens, of the California Emergency Management Agency said there were about 14 counties in the state that were in the same situation due to that storm, including Tuolumne, Mariposa and some Bay Area counties. She said Santa Cruz had the most damage, with about $17 million in estimated costs. She said the state will pass the $44 million threshold.
Wegner said he thought the county should present all of the damage it can find and try to get as much reimbursement as possible. He gave supervisors a list of 26 county roads with damage and repair cost estimates. The County list included an estimated $280,000 in damage to Stony Creek Road, with "clay pumping up through paved surface" and shoulders washed out in various locations.
The full extent of the damage was not uncovered and could increase the repair costs. Wegner also submitted a report from Plymouth City Manager Jeff Gardner, which listed seven roads damaged in the storm, with a repair cost estimated at $51,000. The biggest cost was $25,000 for damage to Old Sacramento Road at the sewer plant, where an "overflowing creek degraded and undermined road base."
Wegner said he requested road damage reports from the five cities. He had not heard from Jackson or Amador City, while Sutter Creek and Ione were still making assessments.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
