In response to flooding and mudslides earlier this month, the Federal Emergency Management Agency set up a relief center Monday at the Yard Birds Mall in Chehalis. On Friday, President Barack Obama declared a state of disaster in eight Washington counties, clearing the way for FEMA to issue individual assistance grants to residents who suffered damage in the event that began with several feet of snow, followed by heavy rain and mudslides. Record flood predictions by the National Weather Service did not come true on four major Lewis County rivers, but some homes in the Twin Cities took on water and for nearly two days, Interstate 5 was impassable for the second time in 13 months. Residences in low spots on the Newaukum River were flooded and when the clouds cleared in East Lewis County, what remained was a mess of mudslides that damaged homes, land and businesses in Morton, Glenoma and Randle. The countywide running total of damage to homes and businesses stands at $12.8 million, according to Lewis County Sheriff's Office Division of Emergency Management. That doesn't mean FEMA will cover the whole amount, according to officials. The grants will be a maximum of $30,300, said FEMA spokesman Charlie Henderson, who was working at the Yard Birds site Monday. "FEMA is one part of the recovery process. It does not make anybody whole again," Henderson said. "Down the road, it's your local communities that are going to make the recovery happen." During the record December 2007 flood in West Lewis County and the Twin Cities, the grants topped out at $28,800, but inflation and the rising cost of building materials were factored into the new figure, Henderson said. Although Lewis County officials reported last week that a second relief center would be set up in Morton, Henderson said that's not definite yet. He said the federal agency is aware of problems in East County. "FEMA is aware Morton has issues," Henderson said. One of those people with issues was at the Chehalis site Monday. Rosemary Harper, 58, was at her home the morning the mudslides came down along state Route 508 north of Morton. She and her boyfriend left their rental home quickly at the first sign of trouble, Harper said. "All I had was a pair of sweats," said Harper, a home care provider for senior citizens who is being put up by her employers for now. Harper described a foot of muck in her house. She's not sure what FEMA can do for her yet, but she was there to find out. "I called the Red Cross and then came here," Harper said. Henderson said the disaster declaration covers damage that occurred from Jan. 6-16, but people should not wait to clean up their property, especially if secondary damage like mold develops. "Clean now and save receipts," Henderson said. "If anyone is thinking of doing something aggressive like rebuilding, check with local permitting people." Henderson said since FEMA arrived over the weekend, the agency has received 167 home inspection requests with 29 of those completed. He said 26 inspectors are currently at work around the area. Henderson said going through the rough details of recovery and what funds are available can be a difficult process for people, but that they should stick with it and not lose sight of the final goal of putting their lives back together. "For people going through a disaster, this is the worst, and that's understandable," Henderson said. The deadline to get registered with FEMA is March 31. The disaster declaration does not cover damage to public property, which has been tallied up to $9.3 million, according to county emergency management officials. It also does not include structural damage caused by mounting snow in December. The Small Business Administration is also in the area offering low-interest loans for recovery from the Dec. 12 - Jan. 5 snow, along with the Jan. 6-16 rain and mudslides. Register for FEMA Aid Registration can be entered online at www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362. The declaration number for the January flood and mudslide event is FEMA-1817-DR. The phone number for the Small Business Administration is 1-800-659-2955. The local FEMA relief center is on the second floor of the Yard Birds Mall in Chehalis. County Says Make Repairs Now • Report damage to Lewis County Emergency Management at 740-1152. • Contact your insurance carrier for coverage information. • Before making repairs, document the damage with photos and written statements from neighbors or other non-family members. • Inventory damaged property before throwing it out. • Contact private nonprofit organizations for assistance with cleanup and reconstruction projects, if needed. • Consider health and safety needs in the cleanup. Use precautions such as air particle masks or respirators and rubber gloves, even if working outside. Airborne dust particles and mold cannot be seen, but can cause health problems. -- Source: Lewis County Sheriff's Office Division of Emergency Management Dan Schreiber: (360) 807-8239
