Disaster Assistance Center opening in Snohomish County to provide information and resources

Courtesy of Snohomish County

SULTAN – People whose homes were damaged by flooding in December can come to a Disaster Assistance Center for help learning about and potentially applying for state assistance or other resources.

Snohomish County has partnered with Volunteers of America Western Washington to host a disaster assistance and resource center at the Sky Valley Center, 617 1st Street in Sultan. The center will include representatives from multiple organizations who can provide guidance and support to those impacted by the flooding.

“The impacts from a flood emergency can last long after the water recedes, especially for those whose homes were damaged,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said. “If your property was damaged by flooding and you are looking for information and assistance, I encourage you to attend one of the events next week.”

The center will be open:

· Sunday, Jan. 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

· Tuesday, Jan. 13 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

· Wednesday, Jan. 14 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

“The historic flooding that occurred in December caused catastrophic damage for many of our residents,” Snohomish County Councilmember Sam Low said. “This center will aid in the consolidation of information and resources, making is simpler for people to find the assistance they need. I’m continuously grateful for our partnership with Volunteers of America Western Washington, and their commitment to finding ways to help.”

Gov. Bob Ferguson last week announced that $2.5 million is available to help those who are eligible for individual assistance through the state. These state grants can help cover costs associated with flood recovery like short-term housing, small home repairs, and food replacement. People can apply in-person at a Disaster Assistance Center, online at the Salvation Army website (sahelp.org), or by phone at 833-719-4981.

For those who are uncertain if they are eligible or who are not eligible for the state grants, there will be more information and other resources at the Disaster Assistance Center. This includes vouchers to dispose of flood-damaged household items at no charge at Snohomish County solid waste facilities, as well as in-person help filling out the county’s flood damage survey.

“We know that people who experienced flooding in Snohomish County face significant challenges and that navigating next steps can seem overwhelming,” Emergency Management Director Lucia Schmit said. “That’s why we are joining partners in bringing resources together in one place. We all want to do what we can to make recovery easier for our residents.”

Snohomish County still is gathering flood damage information using the survey, which can be found online at https://bit.ly/SnoCo-Damage-Report in English and Spanish. Snohomish County residents whose properties were damaged by flooding also can call 425-388-5060 to get assistance with the survey over the phone.

More than 150 people have responded to the survey so far, reporting potentially millions in total damage to private property. Final numbers are not yet available from the survey results. Information gathered from the survey is being used to help with the state request for federal disaster assistance, to better understand flood impacts in Snohomish County, and to communicate assistance opportunities directly to those who have reported damage.

At this time, Snohomish County also is working to assess total flood damage to public infrastructure throughout the county and will provide that information to the state later this month. Those assessments are ongoing and an estimate is not yet available. The state is coordinating the request for federal disaster assistance. It is unknown at this time if or how much federal assistance may be made available.

Multiple river systems in the county reached record high levels in December, inundating roads, fields, farms, businesses, and neighborhoods. Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers issued an emergency proclamation on December 9.

More information including additional resources for those impacted by flooding, guidance on cleaning up after a flood, and donation information for those who want to help is available at https://bit.ly/snocoflooding.

Other resources available

Government agencies and other organizations are busy informing victims of the December flooding of the resources that are available to help with recovery efforts. Here are some of the resources available and links to some of the organizations who have compiled lists.

Northwest Agriculture Business Center

The Northwest Agriculture sent out the following information in a newsletter in December highlighting fundraisers for individual farms that were damaged from last month’s floods.

Nooksack and Skagit River Floods

Terra Verde Flood Recovery-This small family-run farm located in Everson, Washington suffered from the floods, and their early-season flower crops are not looking promising, leaving them without income on top of damages.

Mariposa Farm’s Urgent Flood Recovery -Mariposa Farm lost all harvested crops, cover crops/seed, crops still in greenhouse, and countless other things in the recent flooding.

Farias Farm GoFundMe-Farias Farms suffered serious damage to both its owner, Francisco Farias’ home, and the farm from recent flooding.

Snohomish and Snoqualmie River Floods

Help Rebuild Skylight Farms- This small, family-owned and operated sustainable practice vegetable farm in Snohomish, Washington, was hit by devastating flooding.

Farmer Flood Relief Fund-Hosted by Snoqualmie Valley Preservation Alliance. This fund provides rapid, flexible support directly to Snoqualmie Valley farms experiencing significant flood-related impacts.

Local Roots Farm- The best ways to support: Join the last 4 weeks of Winter CSA, and shop at the Local Roots Farm Store in Duvall.

Cha New Life- Hmong Farmers GoFundMe- This family has been part of the Snoqualmie Valley community for decades and has been completely devastated.

Growing Things Farm GoFundMe- Michaele Blakely is another long-time farmer in the valley who could use some help.

The Koster Family GoFundMe- This family farm not only suffered from flooding, but are dealing with a major structure fire following the flooding.

Green River Flood

Novo Bee Farm Recovery- This apiary, located by Neely Mansion on Auburn-Black Diamond road was devastated by severe flooding caused by the Green River catastrophe. Help them save their hives and livelihood.

Whistling Train Farm Flood Recovery- This vegetable and cutflowers in the fertile Green River Valley between Kent and Auburn, Washington, was devastated by the Green River flood.

Briscot Farm Flood Recovery-Briscot Farm is a family-owned small farm and historic landmark. in Kent, Washington. It’s their horses in the photo above. All the animals were rescued, but much of the farm’s supplies were not, and they need help.

Thanks to the Grange in Duvall, and Eat Local First for their work supporting these farms and promoting their fundrasing efforts. We will post this list to our website as well as flood recovery resources for farmers. If your farm has a fundraiser that’s not listed, email emily@agbizcenter.org to be listed on the website.

Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland

Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland posted on its blog a lengthy list of local resources for farmers in Skagit County who are recovering from floods.

Eat Local First

Eat Local First produced a list of impacted farms as well as organizations that have resources available to help farmers. Organization also provided a list of other ways to support farmers including:

· Buy food directly from a farm or at a year-round farmers market.

· Join a winter or spring CSA.

· Donate directly to farms or to verified fundraisers.

· Volunteer when requested.

· Share with networks.

Washington State Department of Agriculture

WSDA has posted on its Facebook page numerous resources available to help farmers.