Noozhawk Staff Writer

Montecito-area residents and business owners have filed nearly $422 million in insurance-claim losses since the deadly Jan. 9 debris flows, according to the California Department of Insurance.

Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said during a media conference April 2 that insurers have received more than 2,000 claims for residential and commercial property losses, destroyed vehicles and other items.

Jones said there were 1,415 insurance claims listing $388 million for residential property losses, 235 claims totaling $27.2 million in losses for commercial properties, and 388 claims totaling $6.7 million for auto and other lines of insurance.

“Behind these figures lay loss of life, loss of homes, loss of properties and loss of precious moments, loss of businesses,” Jones said.

“These numbers tell only a part of the tale of the devastation that Montecito and other communities suffered.”

Twenty-three people were killed, and hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed in the debris flows, which also caused huge infrastructure damage to the Montecito area.

Santa Barbara County is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on a recovery map for Montecito, and updating flood hazard area maps, and rebuilding could take years.

Jones said the total amount of insured losses is likely to increase as more residents file claims with their insurers and as insurance companies adjust claims.

He outlined actions taken to reassure homeowners who did not have mudslide or flood coverage at the time of the debris flows. The state Department of Insurance has informed property and casualty insurance companies to honor claims if the residents had fire insurance.

The “proximate cause” of the debris flow was the catastrophic Thomas Fire in December that burned 281,893 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, he said.

Jones issued a formal notice in January to insurers reminding them of their duty to cover damages from the mudslide and debris flow if it’s determined the destruction of the land by the wildfire was the mudslide’s efficient “proximate cause.”

“The formal notice had a positive effect on the insurers,” Jones said.

Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com.

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Since the Thomas Fire broke out, Just Communities has been coordinating interpretation and translation services for emergency services in Santa Barbara County.

From town halls to community briefings, press conferences, vigils and the local Recovery and Assistance Center, volunteer interpreters of the Just Communities’ Language Justice Network have been providing simultaneous interpretation into Spanish.

Translation services help ensure all community members have access to important and up-to-date information. With the floods and mudslides, the number of requests for interpreters quickly surpassed capacity, Just Communities said.

To help meet the demand, Just Communities is hosting a free one-day crash course in community interpreting, Saturday, Jan. 27, for 20 bilingual and multilingual community members willing to volunteer to serve as interpreters.

The course will cover ethics, standards and protocols, vocabulary pertaining to the recent disasters and hands on practice.

The goal is to have a pool of trained individuals who can be called on in cases of emergency such as the recent natural disaster, and any other time our community is in need.

Trained, qualified interpreters are an essential component of equitable access for non-English-speaking clients to educational, health, legal, social, community and other services.

Just Communities said its Interpreter Training Programs are ideal for bilingual and multilingual individuals who’d like to make a difference in their community and offer cross-cultural communication skills in professional settings such as schools, social service agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

Just Communities said it works to bridge differences among those of diverse backgrounds and cultures to strengthen the local community and advance social justice.

Through its Language Justice Initiative, Just Communities works to improve access to multilingual spaces where all languages are valued equally and in which speakers of different languages benefit from listening to and sharing with one another.

These spaces allow for people to connect across differences of language, culture, race, ethnicity, and immigration experience and they ensure everyone’s voices are heard and included in the process of community change.

Learn more about the Language Justice Initiative and other programs at www.just-communities.org.

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The Central Coast is not typically at risk from hurricanes, but it is susceptible to earthquakes, wildfires and other natural disasters.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says that every family should prepare supplies and keep them all together in a cabinet or plastic tubs.

FEMA recommends storing a three-day supply of non-perishable food. Canned foods such as fruit and veggies, meat and tuna, soup and juice can be stored for a long time. Just make sure you pack a can opener with all the supplies.

You should also keep high-energy snacks, like granola bars and trail mix in your kit. Keep some crackers to eat with peanut butter and jelly, and consider snacks that will keep children in a good mood, such as favorite cookies, candy, and other treats. Having some sugar, salt, and pepper will go a long way to spruce up your emergency meals.

Water is the most important item to have on hand — one gallon per person or pet, per day.

Every family member should have warm clothes and shoes stored in the kit as well. Blankets and sleeping bags are important, too. You’ll need a complete first-aid kit and other items, such as toilet paper, a sewing kit, and various tools. You’ll want to pack matches, flashlights, spare batteries and a radio, so you can keep up with what’s going on.

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