OCEANSIDE SEEKS STORM AID
City declares emergency, appeals for state, federal money for sewage spill, damaged roads, mobile home park
Oceanside declared a local emergency this week in hopes of getting state and possibly federal money to cover the repair costs for sinkholes, landslides, flooding and a sewage spill caused by the recent series of storms.
“We have had an extraordinary amount of rain lately, and that rain did cause some significant damage to various areas of the city,” said City Manager Jonathan Borrego.
The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to ratify a local emergency declared Tuesday by Borrego acting as the city’s emergency services director. The preliminary estimate for the city’s stormrelated costs since March 13 is $1.1 million.
“The city needs to be proactive to ensure we can seek reimbursement through state and possibly federal means,” said Fire Chief David Parsons at a special Oceanside City Council meeting Wednesday. “We are unaware of any other jurisdictions making a proclamation at this time.”
Within about a week, the city will seek a governor’s declaration or an Office of Emergency Services concurrence, Parsons said. Under a governor’s declaration the city could be eligible for up to 75 percent reimbursement for emergency and permanent work, including debris removal and protective measures. Under an OES concurrence, which is a lower level, only permanent work is covered. If a FEMA declaration is subsequently approved, the city could receive up to a total of 93.75 percent reimbursement.
California’s rainfall year is measured from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. Oceanside averages about 12 inches of rain annually, most of that in the winter. As of Tuesday night, the city was at 17.5 inches for the year, making it the third-rainiest year recorded, with saturated soils, more precipitation expected next week and six months to go in the season.
The westbound lanes of state Route 78 between College Boulevard and El Camino Real have been shut