Apply for federal flood assistance funds by June 10
Published 10:26 am Monday, May 25, 2026
Affected by the December floods? June 10 is the deadline to apply for federal assistance programs Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance, Disaster Unemployment Assistance and Small Business Administration.
On Wednesday, May 20, Governor Bob Ferguson, FEMA federal coordinating officer John Harrison and King County Executive Girmay Zahilay spoke at the FEMA Mobile Disaster Recovery Center in Renton, sharing information and urging Washington residents to apply.
“I know firsthand how resilient Washingtonians are — but no one can recover from a disaster of this magnitude alone,” said Gov. Ferguson, who had requested the federal money earlier this year. “That’s why we are pursuing all available assistance. If you were impacted by December’s historic flooding, help is available. Apply today.”
FEMA Individual Assistance can “help with expenses that insurance does not cover, such as temporary housing or displacement assistance, home repair costs, personal property loss, and other disaster-caused expenses” and do not have to be paid back.
To apply, visit disasterassistance.gov, call 800-621-3362 or visit a Disaster Assistance Center.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance is for those have lost their jobs, temporarily or permanently, because of the flooding (and do not qualify for regular unemployment).
Small business owners, those who are not covered by unemployment law or those who do not have enough hours in their base year to qualify for regular unemployment are all eligible to apply for this program.
Small Business Administration loans can by applied to personal or business-related losses not covered by insurance or FEM funding.
The governor’s office says that these loans “can cover physical damage to your home or business, as well as economic injuries to businesses to help cover costs and expenses the business would have been able to handle if the disaster did not happen.” Visit sba.gov to apply.
In King County, areas in the Snoqualmie Valley and along the Cedar River were heavily impacted by the December floods, which reached historic, record-breaking levels in some areas. On May 21, the county warned residents that the flooding has caused greater drowning hazards in local rivers and that swimmers, tubers and kayakers must be extra cautious.
According to the governor’s office, approximately 3,891 homes across the state were damaged from the floods, 440 homes having been destroyed or having sustained major damage.
The Cedar River Council has also extended its Cedar River flood experience survey through the end of June.
