There were mobile homes — many of them occupied by senior citizens — with roofs, awnings and siding blown off by the Santa Ana winds. Toppled, century-old trees leaned precariously close to some of those homes.

Sand drifts, some higher than 5 feet, blocked doors and driveways.

Some residents went without power for several days and now the stench of spoiled food left in trash cans permeates their neighborhoods.

City, county and state officials saw all of this Friday on an inspection tour of the neighborhoods badly hit by high winds earlier this week. And what they saw brought promises of help.

The San Jacinto City Council approved resolutions declaring a state of local emergency in the city, making available a $180,000 grant in redevelopment funds to help low-income residents fix homes badly damaged in the storm.

Damage estimates from the fierce winds in Riverside County have topped $8.6 million in the past week, according to preliminary figures released by county emergency-services officials. The numbers came from within unincorporated areas of the county and five cities — Banning, Beaumont, San Jacinto, Temecula and Lake Elsinore.

ASSISTANCE

What: San Jacinto is offering grants of up to $5,000 for qualified, low-income residents to fix their homes that were damaged by the Santa Ana winds.

How: Contact Mary Snow or Ken Shaw of United Communities Network at 951-929-7173.

Deadline: Applications must be date stamped within 30 days from Oct. 29.

By HERBERT ATIENZA
The Press-Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_H_damage27.3e075e4.html

CTA members who are members of California Casualty.  If you have been forced to evacuate, suffered from any wind or related damage,

call: 800-800-9410