Federal aid finally approved for Central Coast flood victims

MONTEREY COUNTY, CALIF. (KION-TV)- Federal help is finally coming to Central Coast counties.

Late Monday night, President Joe Biden signed a Declaration of Disaster, including multiple counties and the Pajaro area, where people are still trying to recover.

Some of the people who are undocumented, however, may not qualify for federal aid.

Cal OES is still working on a rapid response fund to help undocumented workers here in Pajaro. It's yet another delay for the town where people like Jerry Castro are demanding more help now.

“We get some help that we need,” Castro said. “You know, not to mention not just me, but all my neighbors and everything, you know, the process has been slow here. You know, people had this stuff sitting out here for weeks.”

Still -- the cleanup continues this week after the flood water brought mud and debris into many people's homes.

“I got mud under my house,” Castro said. “I need it out. I can't do it like that. I got my grandkid and my granddaughter and her husband coming back. I can't have it that, you know, smells like that. I don't want the kid to get sick on me.”

The declaration from the White House includes other counties like San Benito, where we took a look at some of the flooding in someone's home in a previous report. 

Plus, in Santa Cruz County where landslides brought down power lines and trees, some resulting in damage to homes in the Santa Cruz mountains.

Back here in Pajaro, people are still dealing with the lack of drinkable water. The local assistance center is continuing to provide bottled water here as long as people need it.