Contact Information

  • Governor's Office, 360-902-4111

  • Alt Contact:  Emergency Management Division, Rob Harper, 253-512-7005

Governor Gregoire Requests Federal Disaster Declaration for Flood-Damaged Public Facilities

For Immediate Release: December 9, 2006

OLYMPIA � Governor Chris Gregoire today asked President Bush for federal disaster aid for public facility damages in 12 Washington counties. The request covers Chelan, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, King, Lewis, Pacific, Pierce, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish and Wahkiakum counties.

�Roads, buildings, parks and utilities all have been damaged as a result of the November flooding and we need federal assistance to fully repair all of these facilities,� said Governor Gregoire. �I urge President Bush to act quickly on this request so that we can start work to return life to normal in Washington.�

Governor Gregoire requested that the request for federal disaster aid for public facilities be added to her November 22 request for federal disaster aid for individuals in 11 counties. The individual aid request is for Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, King, Lewis, Pierce, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Thurston and Wahkiakum counties.

The request is based on a damage survey conducted last week by six teams of local, state and federal officials. Survey teams found an estimated $37 million in eligible damages to public facilities in the 12 counties. To be considered for a federal disaster declaration, there needed to be at least $7.5 million in estimated public facility damage.

Types of public facility damage and costs that may be eligible for aid include debris removal, emergency protective measures and damages to non-federal road systems and bridges, water control facilities, public buildings and equipment, public utilities, parks and recreational facilities.

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