The state will determine if damages from December’s winters storms were significant enough to pursue federal assistance.
Some residents and small businesses owners may be eligible for funding and help to repair storm-damaged property. The process is part of a larger state effort to assess losses due to the storms. Reports will be categorized to determine in which areas the state meets criteria for federal help.
“We need everybody’s help on this to get an idea of the costs and damages out there to see how we might measure up to federal thresholds,” said Rob Harper, Washington state Emergency Management Division spokesman.
Assistance could come in several forms, Harper said. Uninsured damages are the only type eligible, but the state and county urge residents and business owners to report storm destruction, even if they think insurance will completely cover losses. It is better to be safe and file a report, than to later find out insurance does not cover all it was expected to, Harper said.
Residents may file a report with the King County Office of Emergency Management by calling a hotline number: (800) 523-5044, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Jan. 5-9.
Reports filed with the county will be passed on to the state level. The state has 30 days to compile data, determine in what areas it meets federal qualifications, then file claims with the government, Harper said. Each report will be dealt with on an individual basis, he said.
“If we don’t know what the problems are or where there are needs, we cannot help in those situations,” Harper said.
Homeowners experiencing storm-induced devastation could be eligible for grants or low-interest loans, he said. If they do not meet standards for the funding, the state may be able to link residents with agencies willing to perform volunteer assistance, he said. Businesses that experienced economic losses, due to storm-related closures or missed deliveries, for example, could also see some help.
Those planning to file a report are urged to first contact their insurance companies to inquire about existing coverage. Secondary structures or possessions, such as carports, suffering from storm damage may be eligible for help with repairs and should be reported, said Lynne Miller, King County Office of Emergency Management communications specialist.
“It will primarily cover the uninsured, but we need to know the big picture,” she said.
Documenting wreckage through the use of photographs and holding onto records of clean-up and repair costs will make the process easier. When filing, people will be expected to provide the name and address for the affected property, a description of the damage, a personal estimate of losses that are uninsured and a fair-market estimate of the property’s value.
“It’s definitely worth their time because we are looking collectively at what can be collected for the county,” Miller said.
The county does not have an estimate on how many reports it expects. A timeline for seeing assistance depends on the federal government, Harper said.
It could be days or weeks before residents and business owners see kickbacks, he said. But the sooner citizens report their damages, the sooner the state can begin making its case for federal help.
“The important thing is that people just start reporting it rather than draw it out and take longer,” Miller said.
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Check it out:
• Learn more about the King County Office of Emergency Management and its services by visiting the Web site at www.kingcounty.gov/safety/prepare.aspx.
• Business owners may submit an Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program form to the Office of Emergency Management by downloading the form from the Washington Emergency Management Division’s site: http://emd.wa.gov/disaster/documents/EconomicInjuryWorksheetnew9-2007.pdf.
