Skagit County did not reach threshold for emergency declaration for December flooding

MOUNT VERNON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency informed Skagit County that flooding in late December did not meet the damage threshold required for a declaration of emergency.

Without a declaration of emergency, federal reimbursement will not be available to owners who suffered flood damage.

FEMA’s threshold is determined by multiple variables, including population and resource availability.

Bob Dolhanyk, the county chief of emergency management, said it’s rare to qualify for FEMA individual insurance.

While the county qualified for the Nov. 2021 floods, the damage was valued at about $15 million.

The damage from the the Dec. 27 flooding was about $2.6 million for the county, including $1.8 million in La Conner.

Twenty-four residences and six business reported damage in La Conner.

La Conner Town Administrator Scott Thomas said he knows of at least one uninhabitable home due to flood damage.

For residents who are not able to repair without assistance, “this could be a bitter pill to swallow,” Thomas said.

The town is lobbying state representatives for assistance, he said.

Thomas said that businesses affected may be able to apply for a Statewide Small Business Disaster Relief Grant.