SAN FERNANDO : Property Damage Totals $31.5 Million

The city of San Fernando estimates it suffered $31.5 million in private property damage after the Jan. 17 earthquake, including potentially crippling blows to 63 buildings and serious damage to 835 others.

“It seems like a lot of damage,” City Administrator Mary Strenn said after releasing the first official figures Monday. “But when you look at our city compared to communities like Northridge, we came out OK.”

Besides the private property damage, San Fernando suffered $1.2 million in damage to public facilities and infrastructure, according to the estimates.

The bulk of the public-sector damage, about $800,000, came from burst water mains, said Strenn.

Although businesses suffered from the quake, the bulk of the city’s private-sector monetary damage--$29 million--came in residential buildings.

Of the 63 buildings declared unsafe, 44 were residential; of the 835 where limited access is allowed, 784 were residential. The loss of residential units hits San Fernando’s population hard--an average of 4.4 people occupy each rental unit in San Fernando, compared to an average tenant density of 2.6 valleywide, according to 1990 U. S. Census Bureau statistics.

San Fernando will seek help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to recoup its infrastructure losses, but should be able to get by on budget reserves, said Strenn.