Gov. Jay Inslee said he received assurance from FEMA this morning that the federal government will be issuing a limited emergency declaration for direct federal assistance to assist in the response to the SR 530 slide. FEMA Regional Administrator Kenneth Murphy told the governor in a phone call that he was providing a “verbal emergency declaration” that will allow for immediate federal assistance.
Assistance will include an incident support team, program specialists, and an Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT).
“I want to thank Mr. Murphy for this quick response to the needs of a community devastated by last week’s mudslide. This was a priority for the state and our Congressional delegation and means we will receive immediate assistance from specialists and clears the way for more aid in search and rescue, recovery and rebuilding.”