President Biden has declared a major disaster in the wake of the massive flooding and landslides that occurred in Skagit and Whatcom Counties in mid-November. The disaster declaration that also includes Clallam County, will provide federal assistance to those adversely impacted by the flooding.
The federal assistance comes in the form of funding for those impacted in the three counties as well as the Lummi Nation, the Nooksack Indian Tribe, and the Quileute Tribe.
The federal assistance is handled entirely by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA. For those who submitted damage assessment information to county emergency management, that information will now need to be resubmitted to FEMA. If no damage assessment was submitted to the county, individual assistance is still eligible for those with flooding and landslide damages.
Impacted individuals can apply for assistance at disasterassistance.gov or call toll free 800-621-FEMA (3362). For those who need TTY assistance, call toll free at 800-462-7585.
For those applying for assistance, the following is needed.
- Social security number
- Annual household income
- Contact information such as phone number, damaged home address and email
- Current insurance information
- Bank account information for assistance funding deposits
Heavy rain fell in the region during the period of November 13 through 15 last year, generating significant flooding and landslides, damaging many homes and businesses, as well as infrastructure like roads and bridges. Rain totals ranged from 10 to 20 inches during the period, surging rivers and streams, and saturating soils.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Congressional Representatives Rick Larsen and Susan DelBene, and Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray all supported the request for a disaster declaration to the President.
For questions or additional information, contact the FEMA Helpline toll free at 800-621-3362 from 4 AM to 8 PM PST daily. In addition, Skagit County Emergency Management can be reached at 360-416-1850 and Whatcom County Emergency Management at 360-676-6711.
