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State, federal recovery officials brief Yakima County on FEMA, SBA processes and limits
Summary
State emergency managers and federal partners described the multistep damage-assessment and declaration process for FEMA individual and public assistance, SBA loans available after declared disasters, and practical limits that can delay or block federal aid for Yakima County.
Yakima County emergency managers and federal recovery officials told the county commissioners on Feb. 10 that federal disaster aid requires a multi‑step damage assessment and that statutory and practical thresholds often limit what the federal government will pay.
Zach Gifford of the Washington Emergency Management Division said local governments start the process by collecting initial damage reports and that “it is the local responsibility to begin that initial damage assessment.” He described a three‑step process: local collection of damage reports, state validation and compilation, then a joint state‑FEMA assessment that can be in person or virtual.
The presentations emphasized two separate federal tracks. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Individual Assistance program is driven mainly by homeowners’ uninsured losses and state taxable resources; the Public Assistance program focuses on…
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