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Governor Signs Bills that Allocate $1.5 million for Flood Relief to Sonoma County

For immediate release:

SACRAMENTO–Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed AB 109 and SB 109, which in part provides $1.5 million in aid to Sonoma County for the devastation left behind from the 2019 Russian River Flood.

“My request for these funds came after visiting the Guerneville community earlier this year and seeing the damage caused by this flood,” said Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa). “The damage, although devastating, did not rise to the level that qualified for federal assistance from FEMA for individual homeowners, so something had to be done to help.”

More than 2,500 homes and businesses were damaged and thousands of residents were forced out of their homes. Local roads experienced mudslides, wreaking havoc on local transportation. The Russian River exceeded 13 feet above flood level, resulting in the worst flooding in 25 years.

The $1.5 million appropriated by these bills will be disbursed to the County of Sonoma upon receipt of a written request from the county.

“If Sonoma County had not suffered enough from the wildfire disasters of the past several years, this disaster added insult to injury and I am grateful that we were able to secure these much needed funds,” said Wood.

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