Emerging from the rubble of a devastating earthquake, Californians are looking to the rest of the country for help.

Virginia Brown, executive director for the Centre Communities Chapter of the American Red Cross, said the local Red Cross has received a few hundred dollars for California earthquake relief, but not as much as they received for flood relief in the Midwest.

"That was over a period of time . . . it really depends on what people see in the news media," Brown said. The local Red Cross chapter received about $18,000 for flood relief, she said.

If necessary, Red Cross volunteers have been assigned to go to California, Brown said, but added that their services have not been needed yet.

Estimates of the damages caused by the California earthquake -- which measured 6.6 on the Richter scale of ground motion -- now range from $15 billion to $30 billion. The earthquake claimed the lives of 56 people and left 25,000 homeless.

Legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday for about $6.2 billion in emergency financing to help the victims of the earthquake, making it likely that the disaster will be the costliest in the history of federal taxpayers.

John Comey, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, said donating to the American Red Cross is the best way people can help earthquake victims.

A federal emergency unit out of Philadelphia has sent some people to California to help, but Pennsylvania has not sent relief, he said, adding that other individual groups are also going to help Californians.

Pennsylvania has volunteered to help in any way, but resources usually come from states closer to the area in need, Comey said.

"We are prepared to respond if needed," he said, adding that the state will help coordinate other groups who want to help.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.