Submitted by Grays Harbor County Emergency Management
Grays Harbor County Emergency Operations Center is encouraging the public to continue to fill out damage assessment forms. As Grays Harbor County Emergency Management is working closely with the Washington State Emergency Management Division, an accurate account of all damages incurred within Grays Harbor County is paramount.
On January 11, 2022, Grays Harbor County Board of County Commissioners declared an emergency for the flooding that occurred late December through Mid-January. Following this declaration, Grays Harbor County Emergency Operations Center began to compile damages throughout all of Grays Harbor County. These damage assessments are broken down into three categories: Primary Residences, Secondary/Rental Properties, and Businesses. All three of these forms are found on Grays Harbor County Emergency Management’s Recovery Website.
After compiling the damage assessments, there are two types of assistance that can be requested by Washington State Emergency Management Division on behalf of Grays Harbor County. The first would be individual assistance. While there is no set damage amount to automatically qualify for individual assistance, Grays Harbor County has yet to reach what the State believes to be a high enough damage threshold to request individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The second form of assistance is Small Business Administration (SBA) which provides low-interest disaster loans to help businesses and homeowners recover from a declared disaster. SBA has complex criteria for eligibility but this option is currently what Grays Harbor County Emergency Operations Center is striving toward. As more information on the timing and acceptance of the SBA program, Grays Harbor County Emergency Management will provide it as soon as it becomes available.
Please note, if you have submitted your damage assessment to Grays Harbor County Emergency Management, we have your information and are working on assistance. If you have yet to submit, every little bit counts to help Grays Harbor County make a stronger case for assistance to residents and business owners.
