President Biden issues disaster declaration for LA County over February storms

President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration for a large portion of Southern and Central California over the severe storms that hit the state in early February. 

The declaration, which was made on Saturday, orders "federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe winter storms, tornadoes, flooding, landslides, and mudslides from January 31 to February 9, 2024," said a statement from the White Housae. 

The funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for repair and emergency work. 

In all, the declaration applies to Los Angeles, Ventura, Butte, Glenn, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Sutter counties. 

"California has secured a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration thanks to @POTUS for early February storms," said California Gov. Gavin Newsom on X on Sunday. "This declaration brings in more resources for local communities across the state recovering from the widespread impacts of these storms."

Southern California was hit particularly hard in February by hundreds of mud and landslides that destroyed homes, roads and severely impacted several highly trafficked routes, including the railway through San Clemente.