Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster
Assistance provided under the Stafford Act includes minimal assistance for housing repairs, housing replacement, and rental assistance. Additionally, help is available for medical, dental, and funeral expenses, vehicle repair/replacement, transportation, and certain other personal property losses. The program addresses basic needs and attempts to ensure a safe, secure, and habitable place to live. The program will not restore victims to a pre-disaster status.
To get federal disaster assistance via the Stafford Act (major disaster declaration) for anything less than 100 uninsured/underinsured homes (primary residences) is going to be difficult, but not necessarily impossible. More than the numbers of homes sustaining major damage or destroyed, the supplemental justification will need to paint a picture of a devastating loss for which there are no resources to help with recovery.
The Governor only has 30 days from the date of the event to ask for a major disaster declaration. Consequently, you must get damage information to the state EMD as soon as possible. Before the state can request a major disaster, a Preliminary Damage Assessment must be completed. In addition, the state will need time to generate and process the paperwork through the Governor’s office, all of which must be done in 30 days.
Please keep in mind there is a separate damage assessment process for Public Assistance. Contact Gary Urbas, 253.512.7402, for more information on Public Assistance.
In lieu of a major disaster declaration by the President the USSBA has two programs that could help a community: an SBA Physical Loss Disaster Loan or an Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program.
Contact:
For more information please contact John Vollmer, Human Services Manager, at 253-512-7076.
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