What’s next for 250 King Co. property owners with 'catastrophic' storm damage?
Bomb cyclone recovery efforts in WA
Washington homeowners are reeling from the recent bomb cyclone, with many still picking up the pieces.
SEATTLE - King County has surpassed the $10.7 million threshold in storm damage required by FEMA , so should the state receive federal aid, King County could get a portion of that pie.
The November bomb cyclone damage estimate provided by the county focuses on public infrastructure such as government buildings, schools, and hospitals. It does not include the widespread destruction to homes and businesses, particularly in the Mirrormont neighborhood outside of Issaquah.
By the county’s estimate, more than 250 properties in the region have suffered "major or catastrophic" damage due to the storm.
King County hits FEMA damage threshold
King County is calling on Governor Jay Inslee for help rebuilding from the bomb cyclone after meeting the threshold to qualify for federal disaster assistance.
Bills mount for Mirrormont homeowners
Derrick Schultz, a homeowner in Mirrormont, described the devastation in his neighborhood. "I think every house is affected, some much worse than others. This street alone had 20 trees across," Schultz said. "A lot of people had their roofs bashed in."
Contractors working in Mirrormont tell FOX 13, the average cost for cleanup or restoration work at a single neighborhood property is estimated to be between $20,000 and $25,000.
The Cadd family gave FOX 13 a tour of their widespread damage estimated around $300,000. During the night of the storm a 100-foot-tall pine came crashing through their living room.
Several other trees fell as well, with others smashing into their wood shed and deck. Another completely crunched their car. The family has just returned home after spending eleven nights in a Bellevue Hotel.
There is a GoFundMe for the Cadd family.
FEMA aid: What’s available and what’s next
Two types of FEMA aid could potentially help the region: Public Assistance for local governments (covering schools, hospitals, and tribal resources) and Individual Assistance for homeowners.
To qualify for Public Assistance, Washington must reach at least $14.5 million in infrastructure damages. That has yet to be determined. Individual Assistance is more difficult to secure; state officials report that in the past decade, the federal government has only granted it to Washingtonians four times.
Mirrormont, WA bomb cyclone damage
Councilmember Dunn pushes for local grant program
"In King County, we don’t typically have what we consider natural disasters," King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn said. "We’re used to flooding, the occasional forest fire, but hurricane-force winds are rare. A once-in-a-decade, maybe once-in-a-generation event."
To assist homeowners immediately, Dunn is co-sponsoring, with fellow councilmember Sarah Perry, a grant program to help with unexpected storm expenses like tree removal, hotel stays, and generator fuel.
Dunn says securing these funds is imperative because getting federal assistance for impacted homeowners is such a feat. He emphasized that the county has an emergency reserve fund for situations like this.
"What we want to do is fill in the gap that creates a network to not leave anybody behind," he said.
Mirrormont, WA bomb cyclone damage
Looking to the federal government for aid
Dunn remains cautiously optimistic that the federal government will provide assistance, despite challenges.
Now that King County has made the ask, the state is beginning to share next steps.
Representatives from Governor Jay Inslee’s office tell FOX 13 that right now the state is reviewing damage estimates. If the state meets that $14.5 million dollar threshold, a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) with FEMA will take place. A spokesperson tells FOX 13 Seattle that would start no earlier than Dec. 16.
If that assessment finds enough damage, the state will then request a federal major disaster declaration from President Biden.
Next, it would be up to the sitting president whether to approve the request or not. That decision could take weeks or months, potentially long enough to be passed off to the incoming Trump administration.
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