Nevada eligible for FEMA funds

Mary Manning and Stephen Curran

Wednesday, March 9, 2005 | 10:54 a.m.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Tuesday that two Nevada counties are eligible for federal funds for flooding damage to public property but not private property, meaning home and business owners can't get any of that money.

The designation to receive aid allows the state to apply for disaster relief funds for the damage to roads, flood control channels and other public property in Clark and Lincoln counties caused by heavy rainfall Jan. 7-13.

The agency denied Gov. Kenny Guinn's request for money to pay for damage to individual properties and businesses. Preliminary assessments indicate that about $4.5 million in flood damage was done in Clark County with damage estimates in Lincoln reaching $9.4 million.

The decision to set money aside for public infrastructure, almost two months in the making, met with bipartisan praise from the Senate and Congressional delegation.

"When disasters such as the recent flooding in Southern Nevada occur, we look to the federal government for help and assistance," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in a FEMA statement. "I'm grateful this emergency funding will be available to communities who are working to repair the significant damage that occurred."

The state, however, is looking to other federal agencies for possible assistance for private property owners, Guinn said.

The Small Business Administration has already declared the area as a disaster and has begun accepting applications for assistance for home and small business owners eligible to apply for federal grants to rebuild their property and improve it to prevent or minimize future damage.

Mesquite City Manager Bryan Montgomery this morning had a "mixed reaction" to the federal agency's decision to provide federal money for public use but not for private citizens. He said the SBA loans would likely be popular with residents whose homes were damaged, although many would not qualify for the assistance.

"We're certainly pleased they made a decision," Montgomery said. "We feel bad that the private assistance was not received. ... We would have preferred that private assistance was given, but that doesn't mean we're going to turn down public assistance. Our next focus is the state. We're blessed that the Legislature is in session right now."

Mesquite officials and their colleagues in nearby Overton and Logandale are drafting a request to the Legislature for state money to assist home and business owners, Montgomery said.

Business owners in Overton, where the towns's main street is still caked with dust and mud from trucks traveling to repair the damaged riverbed from the nearby Virgin River, were reluctant to whole-heartedly support the declaration.

At Sugar's Home Plate restaurant, the owner and town board member Judy Metz said she heard of the declaration Tuesday afternoon.

"Well it's disappointing," Metz, whose business and nearby home did not suffer any damage, said. "We were hoping for some help for these people. But I'd like to know their reasons before I jump out and say it's terrible."

Across the street at Town & Country Sales & Service, a used car dealership, owner Jeffrey Jones said he knew the local and state governments had pushed for a FEMA declaration for public and private facilities but was unaware of the decision to exclude private property.