City to seek federal help for flood victims

Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2003 | 11:28 a.m.

City officials will ask Gov. Kenny Guinn to formally request a federal team of investigators to assess damage from last week's storm.

The federal assessment is a prerequisite for securing low-interest loans to help homeowners recover.

The threshold for making the loans available is damage exceeding 40 percent of the value for at least 25 homes or businesses. It's not clear whether that will be met and if or when the federal team from the Small Business Administration would begin its assessment, officials said.

Las Vegas, meanwhile, has been working with the Red Cross, which has handled the bulk of the personal property damage assessment, and "there is the possibility of obtaining these loans," city spokeswoman Elaine Sanchez said.

The city's own assessment has been focused on public facilities, such as roadways. That damage has been put at about $1.5 million, which the city will have to pay itself, Sanchez said. That will cut into the city's ability to pay for other projects, she said, although she was not able to immediately identify which ones.