Bush Declares Ten California Storm-Hit Counties Eligible For Aid

Sacramento, CA — President George Bush has declared ten storm-battered California counties as disaster areas where homeowners and businesses will be eligible for federal aid.

The White House made the announcement Friday. The presidential declaration, which Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger requested, makes money available to individuals in the affected counties who either did not have flood insurance or whose damage exceeded the coverage in their policies.

It covers costs such as rent for residents who were flooded out of their homes, repairs to make dwellings livable, and some clean-up costs.

The ten counties covered by the declaration are Contra Costa, Del Norte, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Sacramento, Siskiyou, Solano and Sonoma.

The designation also permits the Small Business Administration to make low-interest repair loans available to businesses and property owners in the areas.