Did you suffer damage from January-February Whatcom storms? You could get federal aid
Residents who suffered damage or losses are now eligible for federal aid from the storms and flooding that swept through Whatcom County Super Bowl weekend.
Residents and businesses in Whatcom, Skagit and Okanogan counties can apply for loans to cover damages and losses from severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides between Jan. 20 and Feb. 10, 2020, the Small Business Administration said Thursday, April 30.
SBA spokeswoman Cynthia Cowell said in a statement that a recent federal disaster declaration makes the loans available.
“SBA provides low-interest, long-term disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, private, non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters to repair or replace uninsured/underinsured disaster-damaged property,” Cowell said. “We also offer economic injury disaster loans for businesses that may or may not have sustained any damage, but have experienced a downturn in business because of the disaster.”
Filing deadline for property damage is June 29, 2020. Deadline to return economic injury applications is Jan. 28, 2021.
Officials expected damage could exceed $1 million from floods that inundated parts of Lummi Nation, Everson, Nooksack and Sumas from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 in the wake of torrential rains at the end of a soggy January.
A rain-swollen Nooksack River topped the levee in Everson, sending floodwaters into the nearby cities of Nooksack and Sumas.
“Whatcom was the hardest-hit county in the state with regard to last week’s floods,” said John Gargett, deputy director of the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management in February.
Cowell said residents and business owners should file insurance claims first, but not wait for a settlement before applying to the SBA.
“SBA may be able to get your money to you sooner than your insurance, and we will work with your insurance to make certain that no double-payments occur,” Cowell said.
Homeowners, renters, businesses, and private non-profit organizations can apply online at disasterloanassistance.sba.gov. A customer service center is available to answer questions by phone at 800-659-2955 or by email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
For more information, see the SBA website at sba.gov/disaster.
