SEATTLE, WA — Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said Tuesday that the state will look to spend $3.5 million on immediate assistance to those affected by the historic flooding of the past week.
The money is intended as a bridge to help Washingtonians before the state can access federal disaster aid, which could take months. It’ll help pay for things like hotel stays for evacuees, groceries and other short-term needs. It’s unclear how quickly the state dollars will get out the door.
“A lot of folks are working very hard to make sure we’re breaking down any bureaucracy to make those dollars available,” the governor said at a press conference in Seattle on Tuesday. “We’re trying to help folks navigate a really, really challenging time.”
The money comes from emergency funding earmarked for the governor’s office in the state budget. King County is also investing $1.5 million in shelter assistance and debris removal, County Executive Girmay Zahilay said.
It’s too early to put an estimate on the flood damage, though Ferguson said it will be “profound.”
A levee failure on the White River in the south King County city of Pacific led to evacuations early Tuesday. Washington National Guard members were going there to help secure the breach with sandbags. It came a day after another levee failed near Tukwila, prompting orders for residents to leave. That levee, on the Green River, was patched.
“It’s feeling a lot like Groundhog Day,” said state Adjutant General Gent Welsh, who commands the state’s National Guard. “Every morning we wake up, we pull our phones out, and we look to see for some improvement out there, but Mother Nature seems to keep throwing us another curveball.”
One person has been reported dead in the flooding. A man near Snohomish drove past road closure signs and into a ditch with six feet of water, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. Rescue swimmers got the man, 33, out of the car, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
Several highways remain closed, including U.S. 2 between Skykomish and Leavenworth, where washouts and slides have destroyed and damaged parts of the highway.
The major highway could stay closed for months, Ferguson said. Transportation Secretary Julie Meredith noted the state will have a better sense in the next couple days if stretches of the east-west route can open sooner.
Meanwhile, significant rain and heavy wind are in the forecast for western Washington through at least Wednesday, renewing fears of flooding, but likely not to the level of last week’s inundation. The wind could be dangerous, with saturated soil raising the risk of falling trees.
Ferguson, who’s been in office almost a year, also said he’s working with state House and Senate leadership on a measure the Legislature can pass quickly in its next session to increase immediate state funding assistance in the flooding’s wake. The legislative session begins Jan. 12.
And Ferguson expects to propose flooding help in his supplemental budget plans, which are due in the next week.
“For example, you will undoubtedly see in my proposed budget significant investment in infrastructure. That was always the plan,” he said. “It’s fair to say that this disaster has only underscored how important those investments are.”
Federal Emergency Management Agency officials joined Tuesday’s press conference in a King County office building in Seattle, but didn’t speak. FEMA has been helping since President Donald Trump signed off on Ferguson’s request for an emergency declaration to open up immediate assistance. That declaration does not provide direct financial assistance to residents.
FEMA has been partnering in the preliminary damage assessment with state officials.
“They’ve been great partners in this whole thing,” said Robert Ezelle, director of the Military Department’s Emergency Management Division.
The next step with the feds will be requesting a major disaster declaration to unlock federal funding for individuals, local governments and the state. Ferguson is confident the state will make a “compelling case” for the aid.
“This natural disaster is undoubtedly one of the most devastating in our state’s history,” he said, noting authorities have conducted over 1,200 rescues across 10 counties.
The state is also working with the U.S. Small Business Administration for a separate declaration to allow access to low-interest loans. The federal agency made these loans available after the bomb cyclone last year, while FEMA denied the state’s request for more expansive aid.
On the private front, Amazon has announced a $3 million donation to support relief efforts, and Boeing on Tuesday said it was giving $250,000 each to the American Red Cross and the Community Foundation of Snohomish County.
As of October, only about 45,000 homes in Washington had flood insurance, with two-thirds of those through FEMA and the other third being privately insured, said Aaron Van Tuyl, spokesperson for the state Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Flood insurance claims to FEMA are expected to take four to eight weeks, he said.
Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer urged homeowners to take pictures of damage to their flooded homes and make their properties available for insurance inspection as soon as possible. She specifically warned of mold hazards if wet property is allowed to sit.
Some counties, including King, Snohomish and Pierce, have opened up surveys for residents to report damage to help make the case for federal aid.
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