News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 29, 2003
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact:  Rob Harper, Washington State Emergency Management Division, 1-800-688-8955

Gov. Locke Asks President Bush to Declare Washington’s October Flooding a Federal Disaster

Gov. Gary Locke today asked President Bush to declare a federal disaster area for Washington state counties hit hard by this month’s flooding.

Locke requested federal assistance for Chelan, Clallam, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Mason, Okanogan, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston and Whatcom counties.

On Thursday, Locke viewed Snohomish and Skagit counties by air and visited downtown Mt. Vernon and Hamilton to survey damage from the week’s record torrential rain. Last week, the governor issued state of emergency proclamations for Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties.

“There has been widespread flooding damage to homes, businesses, roads and public buildings in our state,” Locke said at his weekly news conference. “I urge the president to act quickly. We must begin providing federal aid as soon as possible to the thousands of people who have suffered from these floods.”

Preliminary damage surveys conducted last weekend revealed 33 homes destroyed, 112 homes with major damage, and 207 homes with minor damage.

“In addition, there is significant damage to the agricultural community, including aqua-farming operations, as well as damage to several community water systems and many county roads and federal highways,” Locke said.

The governor also designated Diane Offord as state coordinating officer for the disaster request. Offord served as state coordinating officer for the Nisqually Earthquake, the state’s most expensive and widespread disaster. She will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in damage assessments.

Locke said the disaster request initially seeks two forms of federal disaster assistance – Individuals and Households Program (IHP), which is for families and individuals; and Hazard Mitigation Program, which uses a percentage of disaster assistance funds to promote mitigation projects in local jurisdictions.



In addition, the governor asked that the IHP assistance include crisis counseling assistance and training, disaster unemployment assistance, U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency loans to farmers, ranchers and related businesses.

After floodwaters recede, the governor said additional surveys of public infrastructure damage would be conducted. The results of these surveys will determine whether the state amends the disaster request to include the Public Assistance Program, which aids governments in repairing damage to public infrastructure.

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