After months ‘left in the dark,’ undocumented flood victims to get $95 million in aid from California
On the night of Jan. 9, amid pelting rain, a levee along Miles Creek in Merced County, California, failed, flooding half the small town of Planada, devastating the tightknit community that is home to many undocumented farmworkers.
Thousands of people were displaced.
Because the town was not officially in a flood zone, few had flood insurance. Because the town was poor, even fewer had the capital to rebuild. And because so many were undocumented, few were eligible for much money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, leading to disappointment and appeals, according to residents and Merced County Supervisor Rodrigo Espinosa.
After people recovered from the initial shock, many expressed frustration at how few options were available
