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BRIDGET HALL GRUMETRecent flooding prompted officials to take the local step, which must come before federal help is sought.
NEW PORT RICHEY - The County Commission declared a local state of emergency Tuesday evening, the first step toward seeking federal disaster aid.
"We're already responding to the emergency. The county administrator has already authorized the expenditures that are necessary," said Michele Baker, the county's director of Emergency Management.
"(The declaration) does not make a difference locally but is one of those check marks that must occur before we can take it to the next step (for federal assistance)," she said.
Baker said the county has sustained enough flood damage to qualify for relief from the federal Small Business Administration, which provides low-interest loans to help rebuild flooded homes and businesses.
In order to qualify, the county must have at least 25 buildings with major water damage. By late Tuesday, Baker had received reports of 250 buildings meeting that standard, including 69 homes and businesses with floodwater inside.
"There's stuff we still can't get to (because of the standing water), so that number will continue to climb," she said.
The state might ask the Federal Emergency Management Agency to declare this multicounty region a major disaster area, which could make additional assistance available, Baker said.
Residents can report flood damage by calling the county's Consumer Affairs Complaints Division at (727) 847-8110.