Need some money to fix flood-damaged property?
Then register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Otherwise, you could be left out to dry.
“I would prefer people to err on the side of caution, to go ahead and register,” said Mark Murphy, response and recovery manager with Snohomish County’s Department of Emergency Management. “Ask and see what happens.”
President Barack Obama declared Snohomish County and several other counties disaster areas on Jan. 30, following storms and flooding earlier that month. The President added several more to the list on Feb. 6, including Skagit County.
To date, Snohomish County has recorded about $18 million in public and private property damage.
Many people here are eligible for federal aid, but few are applying for it, said Jack Heesch, an Olympia-based FEMA public affairs officer.
“There are lots of reasons that people don’t register,” Heesch said.
Some mistakenly believe that by registering with the county, their information is forwarded automatically to FEMA. It isn’t.
Others think that they only have minor damage, and won’t need any help.
“In a month or two, they find out that a little bit of water causes a large amount of mold,” Heesch said.
If they wait too long to register, it could be too late. The deadline in Snohomish County is March 31, 60 days after the official disaster declaration.
As of mid-week, 1,658 people in 15 Washington counties had registered for FEMA aid, he said. That included 176 people in Snohomish County, 23 in Skagit County and 463 in King County.
In addition to registering by phone or online, officials strongly suggest visiting a FEMA disaster recovery center for a face-to-face interview. The nearest center is at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds, 14405 179th Ave. SE, Monroe. It is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3494 or nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
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