State, Federal Emergency Management Officials Survey Flood Damage in South Bay

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA – State and federal emergency management officials visited San Jose Monday to survey the public property damaged by last month's catastrophic flood along Coyote Creek, which caused an estimated $50 million in damage to private property and $23 million in damage to public property.

The representatives from the California Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will visit homes and businesses today and Wednesday, city officials said.

City officials submitted a preliminary damage assessment to Santa Clara County on Friday, estimating that 140 homes sustained major damage, 399 sustained minor damage and 43 others were affected, but not damaged.

One outbuilding was destroyed and 20 non-residential structures sustained major damage. Over 70 sustained minor damage and 24 others were merely affected, city officials said.

About 600 volunteers helped to clean up Kelley Park, the Rock Springs neighborhood and the Golden Wheel mobile home park over the weekend.

As of Saturday, $6.25 million had been raised for the San Jose Flood Victims Relief Fund set up by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, $5 million of which came from medical products billionaire Kieu Hoang on
Wednesday.

To receive funds, victims should register at the Local Assistance Center, located at the Shirakawa/Vietnamese American Community Center at 2072 Lucretia Ave., and demonstrate with a utility bill or driver's license that
they live in one of the affected areas, city officials said.

People who don't have a place to live, seniors, the disabled and families with children will be first in line to receive a check.

The center is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. until Wednesday, after which city officials will assess the need to keep the center open.

Seven Trees Community Center housed 162 flood victims on Thursday, 178 on Friday, 172 on Saturday and 184 on Sunday night, city officials said.

The American Red Cross transferred management to HomeFirst on Monday after running the shelter for more than two weeks.

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--Bay City News/Image of Hellyer Park courtesy of Santa Clara County Parks