Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 3, 1999
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact:  Marty Best, Washington Emergency Management Division, at (253) 512-7073

Locke welcomes federal aid for areas in southeastern and northeastern Washington

OLYMPIA – Gov. Gary Locke today praised the federal decision to provide an additional $5 million to address unmet needs for both the 1998 Kelso area landslide in southeast Washington and flooding in northeast Washington.

Both were declared federal disaster areas last October after the governor appealed the initial federal decisions rejecting the declarations.

"I welcome the additional aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for these two disasters," said Locke. "This is an especially important boost to the city of Kelso and the residents of its Aldercrest neighborhood, which have suffered through one of the nation's worst landslide disasters."

Locke said today's announcement will make available an additional $4.2 million in federal aid for the unmet disaster needs in the Aldercrest-Banyon neighborhood, where a landslide has damaged 103 of 137 homes since last spring.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has already approved 128 loans totaling $24.1 million to help homeowners, renters and business owners in the Aldercrest neighborhood replace disaster-damaged property not covered by insurance or other assistance.

"Ferry and Stevens counties in northeast Washington can qualify for an additional $836,000 in federal aid for unmet disaster need stemming from May 1998 flooding," said Locke. "The damage was especially severe in Ferry County, where flood waters cut off the town of Republic on three sides, and road repairs drastically reduced summer tourism."

Under terms of the federal program, the new assistance can be used for disaster relief, buyout assistance, long-term recovery or mitigation. The program requires a 25 percent non-federal match.

Additional information about the program can be obtained from Marty Best, Washington Emergency Management Division, at (253) 512-7073.

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