Assistance approved for 16 counties for wind/rain

Washington Governor Jay Inslee thanked President Obama for quickly approving his request for a major disaster declaration in connection with a November wind and rain storm.

“I thank the Obama Administration for its quick response and appreciate this significant support,” Inslee said. “This was a record-setting storm that resulted in more than $21 million in damages. Our budgets are already stretched, if not entirely tapped. This assistance will help our communities get back on their feet and resume important services that Washingtonians rely on.”

The declaration makes available the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance program for 16 counties. The program provides federal funds to help eligible local, state and tribal governments, as well as certain private nonprofit organizations pay for up to 75 percent of the costs of eligible debris removal, emergency protective measures and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities and public infrastructure.

The counties that are eligible for the assistance include: Chelan, Clallam, Garfield, Island, Jefferson, Kittitas, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Wahkiakum and Whitman. The disaster declaration also provides grants for hazard mitigation efforts statewide.

The declaration covers damage that occurred between November 12 and 21, when the state experienced severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides. Six rivers exceeded their banks, and at least 522,000 utility customers lost power at some point during the storm.