The Blog

Jim Mullen, Director, Emergency Management Division

03/26/09

Earlier this year, thousands of Washington residents suffered damage from flooding. With help from the Emergency Management Division and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, most have begun the journey of rebuilding their lives. Yet residents and small businesses potentially eligible for assistance will miss the opportunity to rebuild if they do not heed the deadline of March 31 for individual assistance and U.S. Small Business Administration home repair loans.

To date, 1,761 households have received grants averaging $4,265 from FEMA and the state. The Small Business Administration is providing disaster assistance loans for home and personal property repair, as well as for businesses, to fill the gap. Unfortunately, 3,000 loan applications still have not been returned in advance of the March 31deadline. Insurance and loans may be the only resources available to help a person achieve full recovery.

Federal and state teams are working diligently to ensure those eligible get the assistance they need. More than 6,000 individuals, 500 businesses and 2,000 representatives of community groups, government agencies and faith-based organizations were contacted about registering for assistance. This outreach effort included contacts with Washington�s diverse communities, who used translators and materials printed in 12 languages.

Once registered, more than 2,925 cases were quickly processed by federal and state staff who issued $7.5 million in grants while the SBA approved 136 loans for another $3.3 million. Beyond grants and loans, local communities are forming long-term recovery organizations, with federal and state assistance, to help affected families with unmet needs.

For information or to register for help, call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) as soon as possible to meet the March 31 deadline.