Washington state will be claiming $182 million in infrastructure damage after devastating floods swept the region in December, Gov. Bob Ferguson said on Tuesday.
At a news conference, Ferguson announced he was applying for major-disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to help cover the costs of clearing debris and repairing roads, public buildings, parks, and water control facilities.
"This historic flooding resulted in, we believe, the largest dollar amount of public infrastructure damage in Washington state in four decades," Ferguson said. "And that's counting inflation, so this is obviously a significant amount of money."
And that's just a preliminary number. Ferguson said the figure will likely continue to go up as repairs continue.
The state's latest FEMA application is separate from Ferguson's $21.3-million request made last month for disaster relief. That funding will go toward helping people in counties and tribal nations repair and rebuild.
Ferguson said he hopes FEMA approves this new request, which would reimburse the state for about three-quarters of qualifying infrastructure repairs.
Whether President Donald Trump's administration will grant the request remains to be seen, though.
Trump approved an initial emergency declaration for Washington back in December, which allowed the federal government to step in to help "lessen or avert the threat of catastrophe" from the historic flooding.
But the president previously denied the state's multiple requests for major-disaster aid stemming from a bomb cyclone that hit Western Washington in November 2024.
The state is also seeking separate funding to help build things like flood walls to protect against future flooding damage. In addition, the state legislature is currently considering a proposal to give a property tax exemption to people looking to make repairs on houses damaged by the floods.
