The City Manager received a request from the Public Works Dept. after a February 7 storm caused a mudslide behind the Holiday Inn Express in Capistrano Beach, (a neighborhood of Dana Point), that buried about two-dozen cars in the hotel's underground parking structure. (Next door, Olamendi's, a restaurant on Coast Highway, also suffered from the mudslide, and was closed).
In addition to that damage and clean-up costs on public and private property, it was discovered that several drains had inadequate capacity, and may have played a key role in the mudslide at the hotel. "A local emergency was declared to protect the public's safety," said Mark Johnson, emergencies services coordinator. "This is the first step of a two-part process in getting assistance from the governor." Johnson explained that without these declarations of emergency, Dana Point residents would not get FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) funds. Those who also do not have flood insurance would not be able to collect anything if flood damage occurred to their property.
According to Mort August, director of Public Works, the city will so far, be asking for about $135,000 in state emergency assistance funding. More rain is expected today and global scientists predict the El Nino condition could continue to plague Southern California into next summer, thereby increasing the potential for more weather damage in the city. Because of the continuing nature of the emergency, the City Council will need to adopt emergency resolutions every two weeks until it feels the danger has passed. According to August, with the ground saturated, city staff is keeping a sharp eye on local bluffs for sluffing activity and to be prepared with the bureaucratic tools (emergency resolutions) in case there is another slide. However, he said so far there is no cause for alarm and that except for the slide behind the hotel, everything he has seen so far in the city related to storms and ground conditions looks "typical." "We will continue to monitor," August said.
(DANA POINT ON-LINE EDITOR: In the end, the disasters the people of Dana Point suffer through are little more than a pre-text for the City Government to apply for money from the state and federal government. Of course, the money won't go to the private individuals who suffer damages, but to the bureaucracy, with its "bureaucratic tools." Amazingly enough, Dana Point has survived since 1923 without the "services" of the city staff, and it will probably survive DESPITE their best efforts to "monitor." A little known fact is that FEMA is not a regular government agency organized under Congressional legislation, but instead, was established by executive order, and it has far reaching executive powers that are rarely scrutinized.)