Federal aid for WA flood victims

Washington residents hit by the December 2025 floods can now apply for federal disaster aid after President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration on April 11. (fema.gov) The declaration covers storm damage from December 5 through December 19, 2025, including flooding, landslides, mudslides, straight-line winds, and severe storms. Individual assistance is available in Chelan, Grays Harbor, King, Lewis, Pacific, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, and Whatcom counties, plus 16 tribal communities. (fema.gov) FEMA said the aid can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans for uninsured property losses, and other recovery programs for households. Residents are supposed to file insurance claims first, then apply through DisasterAssistance.gov, the FEMA app, or by calling 800-621-3362. (fema.gov) Washington officials had been pressing for this step since January 21, when Governor Bob Ferguson asked for a major disaster declaration and estimated $21.3 million in FEMA help for families. His office said nearly 4,000 homes were damaged, more than 100,000 people were under evacuation orders, 383 rescues were carried out, and one person died during the storms. (governor.wa.gov) The state has also put the public damage higher than the household request. Ferguson told reporters earlier this year that public infrastructure damage was about $182 million, with roads, levees, and other flood-control projects among the likely repair needs. (kuow.org) This approval goes beyond the emergency declaration Trump signed on December 12, 2025. That earlier action let federal agencies help with immediate response, while the April disaster declaration opens longer-term recovery money for households, local governments, tribes, and some nonprofit groups. (fema.gov 1) (fema.gov 2) Public assistance under the new declaration reaches more places than the household aid does. FEMA said state agencies, tribal governments, eligible local governments, and certain private nonprofits in 23 counties can seek cost-shared federal funding for emergency work and for repairing or replacing damaged facilities. (fema.gov) Washington’s insurance commissioner said federal money cannot pay for losses already covered by insurance, but it may help people who were underinsured or whose flood policies did not cover the full loss. The agency urged residents with insurance questions to contact its consumer protection team. (insurance.wa.gov) For flood survivors, the next step is paperwork: insurance first, then a FEMA application, then an inspection or request for documents if the agency needs to verify damage. The declaration turns a four-month wait after Washington’s winter floods into a live federal claims process. (fema.gov)