Surge Of Flood Disaster Applicants At Deadline

GENERAL NEWS 

By Tom Banse

Olympia, WA  February 7, 2008 4:19 p.m.

Hundreds of December windstorm and flood victims waited until the last minute to apply for federal disaster assistance.  The deadline was the close of business Thursday.

The surge at the end brings to nearly 14,000 the number of western Oregon and Washington households and businesses seeking help from FEMA.  Correspondent Tom Banse has more.

Why did some storm and flood victims wait so long to apply for help?  FEMA spokesman Gene Romano says rural disaster victims often show a proud and self-reliant streak.

Gene Romano: “They may have been reluctant to apply for disaster assistance because they didn’t want to take anything away from their neighbors.”

But in the hours before the application cut-off, hundreds of additional December storm victims registered.

Gene Romano: “In some cases, people have found out that they couldn’t handle it by themselves. People have found out that their insurance policy wouldn’t cover all of their damages. And they also realized their neighbors have received assistance.”

The highest numbers of disaster claims come from the coast -- Clatsop and Grays Harbor Counties.  But the lion’s share of aid distributed so far has gone inland – to flood victims in Lewis County, Washington and around Vernonia in Northwest Oregon.

Romano says a lot of the claims from the coast are for wind damage.  Those may end up being covered by private insurance.

Online:

Federal Emergency Management Agency

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