Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has asked President Obama to declare a Federal State of Emergency in California's Central Valley due to a lack of water. http://www.gov.ca.gov/press-release/12562/ Recent dry years and pumping restrictions have severely reduced the amount of water flowing to the Central Valley. In some towns which rely on agriculture, unemployment has reached 40%.
"Calfornia's Central Valley is our nation's agricultural engine and unemployment here is devastating the economy and hurting the people of California. These are dire circumstances - no water means no work - and no work means people cannot feed their families. This drought is truly an emergency, and the actions we are taking today show how government can still work for the people when they need it the most," Said Gov. Schwarznegger.
The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture http://www.fema.gov/dhsusda/searchState.do?state=CA has already declared the counties of Alpine, Butte, El Dorado, Fresno, Inyo, Kings, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Benito, San Bernardino, Shasta, Sierra, Tehama,Tulare, Tuolumne, and Yuba.
Gov. Schwarzenneger has also activated the California Disaster Assistance Act which authorizes temporary supplemental assistance to local governments and non-profit organizations which provide food and other forms of aid. The California Emergency Management Agency, Department of Social Services, Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and Department of Food and Agriculture have been directed to develop a strategy by July 15, 2009 to provide food assistance to residents of the effected counties.
Additionally, the one week waiting period to collect unemployment insurance has been waived in the effected counties. FEMA has not issue a statement if the requested Federal Emergency will be declared in the area.
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