Clallam County agencies now can apply to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for assistance to fix damage from the Aug. 29 windstorm.
FEMA announced last week that Clallam County, as well as Grays Harbor and Whatcom counties, was eligible for aid.
Jefferson County, as well as Island and Snohomish counties, was designated for the windstorm aftermath funding Oct. 15.
The August storm hit the West End and East Jefferson County with strong winds reminiscent of the fall and unusual for the summer season.
Trees and branches falling on electrical power lines caused outages for more than 14,400 customers in Clallam and Jefferson counties.
Of those who lost power, about 12,000 were customers of the Jefferson County Public Utility District.
Jim Parker, manager of the Jefferson County PUD, said in October that he hoped to receive about $300,000 in federal aid for repairs to electrical utility infrastructure.
August damage
Olympic National Park shut down completely after the windstorm, and some areas remained closed for several days to clear trees and branches from roads and campgrounds and remove hazardous trees and snags.
Eligible applicants can apply for federal public assistance supplementary reimbursement for the cost of debris removal, emergency protective measures and repairs to roads and bridges, water control facilities, public buildings and equipment, utilities, parks and recreational facilities.
The aid program also is available to private individuals, said Clallam County’s emergency management program coordinator, Jamye Wisecup, but only after the county meets an aggregate of $219,914 in total private costs.
So far, Clallam has received only one or two calls from residents seeking reimbursement for private storm-related expenses.
For private individuals and entities, the program provides funds for previously non-reimbursed storm expenses, like insurance deductibles.
Individuals, said Wisecup, “can go through the process and get their deductibles covered.”
Under the program, FEMA provides funds to the states for 75 percent of eligible costs.
The state forwards the federal funds to the eligible local and tribal governments or organizations that incurred costs.
Wisecup said her job is to get the word out about the disaster aid to both public and private parties who experienced damage from the windstorm.
She also is contacting a variety of taxing districts — such as water districts, parks and cemeteries — which are publicly funded and might have incurred damage.
State representatives will be coming to Clallam County soon to make a presentation to public agencies about applying for the funding.
The deadline for applications is Nov. 15, she said.
After applications are received, state representatives make on-site visits.
To reach Wisecup, call 360-417-2525 or email jwisecup@co.clallam.wa.us.
Detailed information is also available online at http://tinyurl.com/PDN-aid.
For more information on Washington disaster recovery, go to www.fema.gov/disaster/4242.
