Disaster assistance centers open to help flood survivors with losses
Disaster assistance centers will open throughout Western Washington to help residents affected by flooding in December apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance and federal Small Business Administration loans.
The deadline to apply is June 10.
FEMA assistance can help residents pay for temporary housing, home repair, lost personal property and other disaster expenses, the agency said in a statement. Someone who had applied for state aid can also apply for FEMA.
The Small Business Association is offering low-interest disaster loans to Washington businesses, nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters as well.
FEMA applications can be submitted online or by calling 800-621-3362, and SBA loans can be submitted online as well. If you need help, it is available at one of the assistance centers.
The assistance centers will help visitors with FEMA applications and SBA loans and answer questions about federal and state assistance. They are accessible to people with limited mobility and those who are hard of hearing or speak another language besides English.
In King County, a disaster assistance center opened Tuesday at the King County Elections office at 919 S.W. Grady Way in Renton. The center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
In Snohomish County, three disaster centers will be open at:
* Snohomish Library
311 Maple Ave., Snohomish
* Volunteers of America Sky Valley Center
617 First St., Sultan
* Stilly Valley Center
18308 Smokey Point Blvd., Arlington
Check https://st.news/snocofemacenter for hours those centers will be open.
In Whatcom County, a disaster assistance center will be open in Sumas at the Sumas Advent Christian Church at 125 Front St. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
In Skagit County, two disaster assistance centers will open Wednesday through May 9, and reopen for one day June 6, at:
* City of Burlington Parks and Recreation
900 E. Fairhaven Drive
* Town of Hamilton
584 Maple St.
The Skagit County centers are open from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
Residents' ability to get FEMA assistance isn't dependent on their income, and people whose homes weren't as severely damaged as state programs require may still be eligible for the federal assistance, the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management said.
Expanded federal assistance was approved by President Donald Trump under a major disaster declaration for areas in Washington affected by severe storms, winds, flooding, land and mudslides in December.
Beyond the weather disasters in December, the SBA reminds eligible small businesses and private nonprofits in Washington that they can apply for low interest federal disaster loans by May 26 to offset economic losses caused by drought beginning July 29, 2025, the agency said.
The SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program can help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, private nonprofits and including faith-based organizations with working capital needs caused by the drought - even if there was no physical damage.
The loans can be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills which could not be paid due to the disaster. The loan can total up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.625% for private nonprofits with terms up to 30 years. Interest won't accrue and payments aren't due until a year from the date of the first loan disbursement.
Residents can apply online, call 800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov by May 26. There will be a 60-day grace period after the deadline.
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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 9:47 AM.