Wash.’s Gregoire Seeks Federal Disaster Aid for Jan. Storms

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire has declared a state of emergency and has requested federal disaster aid for January windstorm damage in seven counties, her office said.

The declaration covers Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Island, Jefferson, King and Snohomish counties, a news release said. The storms took place Jan. 5-7.

The order directs state government to support emergency response activities in the affected counties, allows state agencies to spend and use resources to assist local communities in their recovery efforts, and authorizes the Washington National Guard to activate its resources.

Gregoire sent a letter to President Bush on Monday, requesting federal disaster aid for damage to public facilities in the counties.

The request for federal aid is based on a damage survey conducted last month by teams of local, state and federal officials. The surveys indicated the most severe impacts were to electric and communication utilities, parks and recreational areas and public buildings.