President Joe Biden approved major disaster declarations for California and Alabama on Jan. 14 to assist state and local recovery efforts following major storms in both states.
Storms in California have left at least 19 people dead amid widespread flooding, mudslides, and other adverse weather incidents, while severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes affected Alabama on Jan. 12. The storms in Alabama were among the severe weather that left at least nine people dead across the southeast.
Waves of storms have hammered California since late December as part of what the National Weather Service (NWS) says is an “atmospheric river.”
“The president’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Merced, Sacramento, and Santa Cruz,” the White House said in a statement. “Federal funding also is available to state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in the counties of Merced, Sacramento, and Santa Cruz.”…