How much did deadly storms cost California? $1 billion and counting

After California’s powerful winter storms finally subsided, emergency officials and accountants have stepped in to start tallying the damage. One expert said he expects the total cost to California will be over $1 billion.

Damage in Sacramento County alone likely topped $123 million, according to a preliminary estimate from the county.

The series of storms, which began New Year’s Eve, killed at least 20 people around the state, including five people in Sacramento County.

President Joe Biden declared a major disaster Jan. 14, paving the way for additional federal funds and indicating that Washington will cover a significant portion of the cost to rebuild. Biden is expected to visit the Central Coast on Thursday to survey damage and meet with residents.

In Sacramento, Merced, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo counties — which suffered some of the worst damage — individuals and families will be eligible for certain federal assistance.

On Wednesday, Sacramento County opened a “Local Assistance Center” at the Chabolla Community Center in Galt to help residents access FEMA funds and other assistance to pay for damage that isn’t covered by their insurers.

It’s still too early for a final estimate, but California officials will have a better idea in about a month, said Adam Smith, an applied climatologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who studies disasters. Smith added, “It’s been quite a while since California has been really bombarded by such a continuous series of atmospheric rivers.”

The impact of the storms compounded, becoming more costly as the storms bombarded California. The duration and scale of a disaster adds to the time it takes to analyze costs, Smith said. Assessments will continue for weeks — even months.

But Smith said a state tab of several billion dollars was not “out of the realm of possibility.”

The state agency that oversees state highways and three intercity rail routes has scarcely begun to tally the damage, but the bill will likely be steep.

“Caltrans has had more than 4,000 crew members working 12-hour shifts around the clock, responding to thousands of incidents throughout the state,” said Will Arnold, a Caltrans spokesman who is also the mayor of Davis. “Our priority now is to safely reopen roadways that remain closed due to flooding, slides or other incidents. After this emergency, Caltrans will identify any additional needed repairs and determine overall associated costs.”

Sacramento County’s initial damage estimate “includes all reported private property damage (residential and business) and all public property damage countywide,” said county Director of Public Information Kim Nava.

The county has not yet had professional assessments, and, thus far, private property damage has all been self-reported. Residents can still report problems to the county Office of Emergency Services. There may be additional damage that has not yet been reported.

Additionally, Smith compared the recent spate of storms to floods in 1995 and 1997, which cost California $2 to $3 billion. Since then, California has become more populous and has more assets at risk — homes, businesses, vehicles, infrastructure, roads, bridges and levee systems.

“The damage could be potentially higher now,” Smith said, “because there have been more assets developed in vulnerable locations.”