OLYMPIA — Individuals and businesses in Mason, Pacific and Thurston counties are now eligible for federal disaster assistance if they suffered damage from the storms that walloped Western Washington early this month.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency previously granted individual and business assistance only for Grays Harbor and Lewis counties, but added the other three counties on Saturday after completing a survey of damage from flooding, mudslides, landslides and high winds.
Individual assistance helps residents and business owners with housing assistance, small business loans, crisis counseling and other programs.
Gov. Chris Gregoire welcomed the expanded aid.
“I would like to give a heartfelt thanks to those who made a decision to approve our request in a matter of hours. I’m told it was one of the fastest disaster declaration responses ever from FEMA and the federal government,” she said.
Residents of the affected counties can register for disaster aid by calling FEMA at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or by going to www.fema.gov.
A page has also been created on the state Emergency Management Division’s Web site at www.emd.wa.gov where corporations, organizations and individuals can identify needs and target their contributions to a specific county.
“I have been out in the affected counties and seen what flood survivors are going through,” Gregoire said. “The total recovery will require months but this is a vital step to help people to get their lives back.”
Since the assistance was announced for Grays Harbor and Lewis counties on Dec. 9, more than 3,400 families or individuals have applied for assistance, disaster officials said. More than 300 from undesignated counties also had applied by Friday.
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