Washington—Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA) today announced that Crescent City Harbor will receive $6,099,201 in federal funding to help rebuild a boat basin embankment severely damaged by tsunami waves in March. The funds, made available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance Program, will be used to restore the boat basin’s protective rock layer and remove dangerous debris that poses a significant risk to boats and boaters.

“The March tsunami caused damage unlike anything seen in the area for decades,” said Senator Feinstein. “The FEMA funding will provide much-needed assistance to Crescent City Harbor so that boaters and fishermen along California’s North Coast can begin to recover from this disaster.”

“I am pleased that FEMA will provide much-needed assistance to help rebuild Crescent City’s Harbor, which faced significant damage from the tsunami earlier this year,” said Senator Boxer. “Crescent City’s fishing economy depends on the city’s harbor and this aid will ensure repairs are made to keep it open and operating.”

"I am pleased that the Crescent City community will be receiving much-needed federal funding for the restoration of its harbor," said Rep. Thompson. "This assistance will help ensure the backbone of our fishing economy remains strong, now and in the future."

Crescent City Harbor’s embankment – a long, linear artificial mound of rock and earthen fill – was built to shelter the boat basin from coastal waves and maintain safe docking and servicing conditions for private and commercial boats. On March 11, a series of tsunami waves stripped the embankment of its protective rock layer and exposed moored boats to rough waters, creating extremely hazardous conditions for boaters.  Full restoration of the embankment will require the placement of 63,847 tons of rock weighing four tons each and 31,400 tons of rock at 500 pounds each.

The harbor district requested federal funding to complete the repair of the embankment in time for the start of the Fall 2011 crab season.  As a result of joint letters and appeals by Senator Boxer, Senator Feinstein, and Representative Thompson, FEMA will cover at least 75 percent of the cost of debris removal and restoration of the disaster-damaged boat basin. The Public Assistance Program grant funding will also help protect the harbor from future disasters by providing assistance for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery process.