"Some of them felt forgotten": Volunteers ride Humvee through floodwaters to deliver supplies
ACAMPO - Federal help is finally on the way for flood-soaked San Joaquin County, now added to FEMA's major disaster declaration. But neighbors weren't about to wait. They stepped up to help their own even before FEMA stepped in.
Nathan Crum let a CBS13 crew ride along in his Humvee, driving right into the hardest hit area in San Joaquin County. Nathan teamed up with Ben Wilcox who lives at the Arbor Mobile Home Park. They're delivering food and supplies to people who didn't evacuate and are now trapped by flood water surrounding the complex.
"We are a strong community, we have banded together but the damage that's in there is pretty substantial," said Wilcox.
"We love it. It shows somebody cares about us being stuck back here," said Carol Daniel.
From local to federal help, people in San Joaquin County who have storm damage can now start filing for financial help. But the FEMA declaration didn't come easy.
"I mean we kept watching them where they were putting all the counties on and ours wasn't involved and then all of sudden we saw San Joaquin County and we thought 'Oh, thank you, God," said Carol.
"We have one of the most densely populated flood plains in the nation. That's what the valley is all about and so these floods shouldn't have come as such a surprise," said Congressman Josh Harder (D-Tracy).
Rep. Harder pushed for faster federal relief, calling the delay unforgivable. He said it's time for more investment in levees and dams so these floods don't happen again. From stress to support, federal and community help couldn't have come soon enough.
"There were tears shed. I think some of them felt forgotten, honestly," Crum said.
San Joaquin County Director of the Office of Emergency Services, Tiffany Heyer, says a disaster recovery center will be established soon with co-located resources and information. She said an early estimate adds up to $19 million in storm damage in the county. Individuals can apply for Individual Assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov, through the FEMA mobile app, or by calling 1-800-621-3362.