Rep. Paul Cook
July earthquakes in Southern California require immediate disaster declarations for two impacted counties, U.S. Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA) said.
The citizens of Kern County and San Bernardino County experienced significant earthquakes this summer resulting in what the U.S. Geological Survey estimates could be $1 billion in economic losses, Rep. Cook wrote in an Aug. 6 letter sent to Chris Pilkerton, acting administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
“I urge you to classify both Kern and San Bernardino counties as disaster areas to allow resources from the SBA Office of Disaster Assistance to be utilized for the recovery process,” the congressman wrote.
Rep. Cook wrote that it’s critical for homeowners and business owners to have SBA’s support as they start to rebuild.
“This assistance would greatly aid in the recovery process of the region, allowing individuals and businesses to access Home and Personal Property Disaster Loans, Business Physical Disaster Loans, and Economic Injury Disaster Loans,” he wrote.
Rep. Cook also said in a statement released earlier this week that “it’s been a month since the earthquakes struck Southern California,” and residents continue to be seriously impacted by the effects.
“I will continue working to ensure that my constituents receive the assistance they need to recover from this disaster,” he said.