Joint State/FEMA Disaster Assessments Underway For W. Wa Flooding
Release Date: December 6, 2007
Release Number: R10-08-027
At the request of Gov. Chris Gregoire, federal and state officials today will start a process to assess damages to homes and businesses in counties most affected by this week's storm and flooding.
According to Washington Emergency Management Division (WEMD), Director Jim Mullen, PDA teams consisting of representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and WEMD will "begin the assessment process today and hope to be ready to go forward by Friday."
"Joint PDA teams will visit and inspect damaged areas, document damages and talk with local officials," said Mullen. "We'll also be reviewing Washington State Patrol fly-over video footage of impacted counties. It's a partnership effort designed to provide a clear picture of the extent and locations of damage."
"These joint assessments don't try to determine the total costs of the recovery. We look at the overall scope of damages to establish if recovery is beyond the capabilities and resources of state and local governments," said FEMA Regional Administrator Susan Reinertson. "State and local officials are still heavily engaged in life saving/life sustaining operations, and we'll be careful that our joint assessments do not intrude on these priority missions."
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Thursday, 06-Dec-2007 15:10:43