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<br />DESCRIPTION OF DAMAGES AND IMPACTS
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<br />The Winter Storms of 1995 produced record snow and rainfall. An OES/FEMA
<br />preliminary damage assessment, with the assistance of local jurisdictions, estimated
<br />total public and private damages for this disaster to be over $1 billion.
<br />
<br />The following 24 counties were included in the original declaration: Butte, Colusa,
<br />Contra Costa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Los Angeles, Mendocino,
<br />Monterey, Napa, Orange, Placer, Plumas, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara,
<br />Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Tehama, Ventura, Yolo and Yuba. These additional counties
<br />were subsequently included in the declaration bringing the total to 38 counties:
<br />Alameda, Amador, Kern, Marin, Modoc, Nevada, Riverside, Sacramento, San
<br />Bernardino, San Diego, San Mateo, Shasta, Sutter, and Trinity. Additional counties
<br />may be included.
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<br />Flooding occurred in the declared counties damaging homes, businesses, public
<br />facilities, highways, bridges and culverts. Flooding affected populated urban,
<br />suburban and less developed rural areas. Rivers, creeks and channels were clogged
<br />by debris while land was eroded by rapid runoff. In several areas of the state, the
<br />saturated soils caused mudslides, landslides and debris flows. High winds associated
<br />with the storm resulted in more than 1.4 million Pacific Gas & Electric Co. customers
<br />losing electric power over a one week period, These power outages were located
<br />mainly in the central and northern part of the state.
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<br />The continued heavy rains aggravated the situation, as the ground was already
<br />saturated, Roads and highways throughout the affected areas were flooded and
<br />temporarily closed, Areas of concern included Malibu, Laguna Beach and Highway 41,
<br />which were affected by the firestorms last year, Vegetation in these areas had not
<br />stabilized the soil, which allowed mud/landslides or debris flows to significantly affect
<br />the region. Ten deaths and numerous injuries were attributed to the storms.
<br />
<br />Flooding caused numerous hazardous substance problems in the Russian River area,
<br />from Cloverdaleto the river's mouth near Jenner, California. The U.S. Environmental
<br />Protection Agency (EPA) and Pacific Strike Team, a unit of the U.S. Coast Guard,
<br />observed hazardous containers over a 50-mile stretch of the river and removed drums
<br />by helicopter,
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<br />The greatest concentrations of assistance, one indicator of disaster losses, occurred
<br />in Los Angeles, Sonoma, Sacramento, Placer and Santa Barbara counties, as flooding
<br />displaced a large number of people. The American Red Cross (ARCI activated their
<br />Mass Care Feeding Program and set up a total of 80 shelters throughout California
<br />housing 3,696 people and serving 176,928 meals. Financial assistance was provided
<br />to over 3,000 people.
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<br />5
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