Kings County will get federal assistance to recover from estimated $1 billion flood damage
.JPG "A farming structure is seen near 6th Avenue about 1 mile south of Quebec Avenue south of the City of Corcoran where flooding is re-creating the old Tulare Lake. Photographed Thursday, April 6, 2023 south of Corcoran, California.")
After Kings County officials scrambled to qualify for federal assistance, the county is now one of many eligible for aid to respond and recover from flooding impacts.
The county has estimated $1 billion in flood damage as melting snow in the coming months overflows the Kings River and other waterways and resurrects Tulare Lake. Officials believe the flooding will result impact more than 41% of the county’s $2.43 billion crop value plus another $1 billion in additional damages.
The county turned in its flood damage estimates to the governor’s office on March 28, but just missed the deadline to be included in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request that day for federal funding.
President Joe Biden signed an emergency declaration on April 3 that made federal funding immediately available for several counties, including neighboring Tulare and Kern counties to recover from severe winter storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides, and mudslides.
Earlier this month, Kings County Board of Supervisors Chairman Richard Valle, whose 965-square-mile district includes Home Garden, Corcoran, Avenal and Kettleman City, said “it should not be an issue for us, Kings County, to get added to that declaration” once the state reaffirmed the county’s loss damages.
Nancy Ward, director of the governor’s Office of Emergency Services, visited the county and the Emergency Operations Center on April 6 to discuss how the state can better support the county as it responds to the flodding. FEMA also conducted preliminary assessments and determined eligibility for the state disaster declaration.
Kings County was added on April 14 to the Major Disaster Declaration in the category for Public Assistance funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FEMA provides supplemental grants to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments for communities to respond and recover from major disasters or emergencies declared by the President.
The public assistance granted for Kings County involves emergency work and permanent work such as debris removal, emergency protective measures, roads and bridges, water control facilities, public buildings and equipment, public utilities and parks, recreational, and other facilities.
County officials and the Emergency Operations Center will continue to work with FEMA to monitor and submit damages for further assistance if they become available.
At this time, Kings County is not on the list of individual assistance of designated counties where residents affected by the disaster are eligible to apply for FEMA assistance.
The county declared an emergency on March 10 and activated its Emergency Operations Center on March 21.
.JPG "KC Flooding-Tulare Lake-Corcoran_04-06-23_MOB (2).JPG")
The economic impact on the county’s agriculture is huge. In 2021, crops were valued at $2.3 billion. Farmers drained Tulare Lake more than 100 years ago and the land is used for crops like cotton, pistachios and tomatoes.
Valle, the only Latino supervisor in a county that is 56% Latino, is worried about the flood’s impact on jobs and the economy.
