Lawmakers look at challenges of rebuilding after Napa quake

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KGO) -- In the frantic seconds after the quake struck there were fires, water main breaks and virtually no working communications system.

Still, officials agree Napa's first responders did quite well in the immediate aftermath of the August 24 quake. It's the process of rebuilding that's proving to be much more difficult. The lessons learned was the focus of a special hearing today in Sacramento.

California's Office of Emergency Services director Mark Ghilarducci told state lawmakers the fact his office had virtually no communication with large parts of Solano and Napa counties in the moments after the August quake was the first indicator they were dealing with a major disaster.

"We pretty much assessed immediately that given the fact that we did not have immediate communications, that was a sign that we really needed to lean forward and engage rapidly," Ghilarducci said. "It's very difficult to see the damage even from the street."

Eight weeks after a 6.0 earthquake shook Napa to its core, the process of finding all that was damaged or destroyed is still going on.

"Crumbling foundations, we found ceiling beams that were cracked," said Napa City Manager Mike Parness. "We found many issues and we think in the months to come, we'll find more and more homes that are seriously damaged."

Napa still has 160 red tagged buildings and less than 3 percent of those that were damaged or destroyed are covered by earthquake insurance.

Napa and surrounding cities did receive public assistance money from FEMA for infrastructure repairs, almost immediately after President Obama signed the disaster declaration in early September.

But individual assistance, a separate FEMA program still hasn't been approved for Napa quake victims, much to the frustration of many, who desperately need low interest loans and other aid.

"It's something that needs to be looked at in the future," said Napa County Executive officer Nancy Watt. "How can that happen, much more quickly."

A FEMA spokesman said it's a complex process that is ongoing with no estimate of when it will be completed and no guarantee the assistance will be granted.