UPDATE: Governor Jerry Brown Declares State of Emergency in San Mateo County

Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in San Mateo and three other counties Friday afternoon, citing their lack of ability and resources to handle the effects of a triggered by an 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan.

In doing so, he has ordered San Mateo, Del Norte, Humboldt and Santa Cruz counties to utilize state aid in handling local emergencies, and repairing "damage to ports, harbors and infrastructure" caused by the tsunami.

"The water surge caused by the tsunami inundated California beaches, ports, and harbors, destroying public and private property and threatening numerous structures, which caused the evacuation of residents and the opening of emergency shelters," he said in his formal declaration. "The water surge is causing conditions of extreme peril to the infrastructure and the safety of the persons and properties within the counties."

Humboldt and Santa Cruz counties have already declared local emergencies and Del Norte and San Mateo counties are expected to issue similar proclamations, he noted.

"The circumstances of this tsunami and water surge, by reason of their magnitude, are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of any single county, city and county, or city and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat," Brown said. 

By declaring a state of emergency in these counties, Gov. Brown is ensuring that they can receive reimbursement from the state or federal government for costs incurred during evacuations and damage done to property. 

"San Mateo County has already incurred about $150,000 in expenses in Half Moon Bay, the evacuations and a number of things related to that," said Assemblyman Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo). "In order to recover those costs, you have to have declared an emergency. It's great for the counties to have this. They can feel comfortable they will get their cost reimbursed for the emergency, and there are a lot of costs that people don’t see."