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Kootenai County approves retroactive disaster declaration for March atmospheric-river event

Kootenai County Board of Commissioners · April 15, 2026

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Summary

Kootenai County approved a retroactive disaster declaration so local governments and utilities can seek FEMA public assistance after new weather analysis combined March windstorm and flooding into an atmospheric-river event.

Kootenai County commissioners voted April 14 to approve a retroactive disaster declaration for an atmospheric-river event that affected the region in March 2026.

Tiffany Westbrook of the county Office of Emergency Management told commissioners the National Weather Service now regards a previous windstorm and separate flooding and landslides (March 11–13) as a single event. "The weather service informed us that the weather system... is now being viewed as one system, which is the atmospheric river event," Westbrook said, adding that the change allows damages to be combined for a FEMA Region 10 public assistance request.

Westbrook said recent assessments identified significant local impacts: Worley Highway District reported about $87,000 in damages, and Kootenai Electric reported just over $1,000,000 in damages, figures she said could qualify for cost recovery if the president declares a federal disaster. The county and state reached out to affected partners after learning of the revised weather-service determination.

The board moved and approved Resolution 2026-54 to seek the declaration and present combined damages to FEMA. The motion carried on voice/roll call.

The declaration authorizes county staff to pursue federal public assistance on behalf of eligible local jurisdictions and special districts; next steps include compiling documentation from affected entities and submitting the county's request to FEMA Region 10 for review. If FEMA and the president approve, eligible public assistance could reimburse repair and emergency-response costs for participating entities.