Get help with windstorm disaster loans at fairgrounds now
Do you still need help recovering from November's bomb cyclone windstorm?
Through Jan. 31, Snohomish County residents who sustained damage not covered by insurance can meet in-person at the fairgrounds in Monroe with representatives of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience to explore applying for low-interest loans.
SBA Disaster loans up to $500,000 can be made available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $100,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property, including personal vehicles.
The loans offer many in our community a good option to help recover from the bomb cyclone more fully, said Lucia Schmit, Snohomish County Emergency Management Director.
“My team has been meeting with the community over the last month and more to better understand the impacts of the storm. Many Snohomish County residents were hit hard. Unfortunately, the majority of those damages are not eligible for state or federal relief funds, whether because they were to property other than a primary residence or because the owner had home insurance, which is a good thing,” Schmit said. “However, SBA loans might be able to help with those losses. We are grateful that the SBA is standing up a Disaster Loan Outreach Center at the County fairgrounds to help our residents access resources that can help with rebuilding and recovery.”
The SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center is scheduled to be open weekdays through Jan. 31 and is located in the VIP Cabin at the Evergreen State Fair Park, 14405 179th Ave. SE in Monroe. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday.
Residents, businesses, or private nonprofits with damages can also get additional disaster assistance information by applying directly online at SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or email [email protected] for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. The SBA’s deadline to apply for property damage is Feb. 21, 2025. The deadline to apply for economic injury is Sept. 23, 2025.
Learn more.
 The bomb cyclone windstorm damaged many homes, including this one in Snohomish. Snohomish County Emergency Management drone photo.
Sign up for real-time river notifications
Snohomish County Surface Water Management has added river-gauge notifications to its Real-Time Flood Information Center. Anyone can sign up for text or email notifications when any of the 16 river gauges in the county reach flood phases 2 through 4.
Individuals can select specific river gauges and flood phases they wish to monitor and will be notified when the river exceeds the flood phase(s), and when it recedes below the flood phase(s) they signed up for.
These notifications are different from the SnoCo Alerts system managed by the Department of Emergency Management (DEM). While SnoCoAlerts provide life-safety information and directives for immediate action, the river gauge notifications are informational and based on real-time conditions without forecasting future flood scenarios.
To sign up, go to https://snohomish.onerain.com, click “Subscribe to Flood Notifications”, select which river basin you are interested in, then select the gauge and phase.
Questions? Email: [email protected]
 Record flooding on the lower Stillaguamish River, December 2023. Snohomish County Emergency Management drone photo.
Make sure you can access critical information during emergencies. Sign up for SnoCoAlerts to receive emergency messages on your phone.
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