Category: Rebuilding

FEMA and SBA

FEMA hours at CCOBFEMA & SBA are here,  The Federal Emergency Management Association and Small Business Association have set up shop at the Country Church of the Open Bible in Elk WA this week. These are along with two other organizations including the mobile DSHS crew and an Insurance Commissioner representative from Olympia. I went in on Friday to register with whatever programs were available for our family. There are four places you can do the paperwork for disaster assistance right here in Elk. The only way you can guarantee that you will get NO assistance is to NOT APPLY. So, be sure to come on down and apply.

The hours add up to 50 hours a week shown above. Be sure to take advantage of this convenience. It will take less time than you would think and the people are very friendly and helpful.

Monday, Tuesday, & Friday: 8:30am-6:30pm (30 hrs)

Wednesday & Thursday: 8:30am-3:30pm (14 hrs)

Saturday: 9am-3pm (6 hrs)

FEMA

FEMA decides who can get grants that don’t have to be paid back. The application amounted to about 30 minutes of me listening to the lady filling out the form on her laptop across the table from me. I answered her questions the best that I could recollect. Things like how much damage, street address… Value of property lost and some description. Dependants, health, or medical supplies. How much insurance? Current living situation. Mailing address and sign a permission slip for them to get a copy of my taxes from the IRS to check our income. We set up email notices and I had a FEMA number to sign in. I asked to get paper copies mailed to me for our records.

SBA

SBA Fact Sheet 01 small SBA Fact Sheet 02 smallSBA-The U.S. Small Business Administration was the second office I went to apply for assistance. If we qualify, we can get a loan with no interest in the first year and low interest after that. We are hoping to qualify to get enough funds to cover what our insurance company is not going to cover as we rebuild. You don’t have to be rebuilding, you can be relocating instead. They share information with FEMA and ask a few more questions. I thought they would only help with loans for my business and I was wrong. They also do loans for much more.

I have attached the fact sheets that they hand out so that you can read everything you need to know before you go in. (I got permission from them to share the form). You can download them here, “SBA FACT SHEET 01” & “SBA FACT SHEET 02”, to print your own.

DSHS Mobile Office

The same people that come to New Hope in Colbert, and the North County Food Pantry in Elk.

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER

The Insurance Commissioner

She is willing to help you with the legalities of our insurance companies.

I left the church with hope in my heart again.

HB1899 Rebuild After Fire Helpful

HB1899 Rebuild After Fire – Helpful

Pete’s Bills is a short list of important bills that have been read and should be testified on in his opinion. If you are one of those who is happy to sit back on the couch and only complain after a law is in effect, this is probably not enjoyable reading for you. Continue reading “HB1899 Rebuild After Fire Helpful”

We Survived the Oregon Road Fire

WE SURVIVED
the Oregon Road Wildfire

This wildfire in rural northern Elk WA began on August 18, 2023 in the early afternoon. It was a hot and extremely fast-moving fire pushed around with wind gusts exceeding 45 MPH. We know because we were there.

W House
August 19, 2023

Air support was working the Elk “Oregon Road” fire initially. However, Governor Jay Inslee removed it and sent it to Medical Lake. It was all moved to Medical Lake ONLY, not split up between the two fires.

Our firefighters were only “ground crews” in Elk. They were told to “stand down and let it burn, only handle evacuations”. So, we did not stand a chance.

I hope we all remember this when we vote in the next election. As far as I am concerned, if they are in office now, they should be replaced especially if they are Democrats.After the fire we had to log the destroyed trees to prevent insect infestation.

Nelson Creek

The Nelson Creek Fire was stopped 650 feet from our home/property 3 years ago. Courageous firefighters were astonishing with ground forces and a full company of air support. All of our homes were saved in our neighborhood. We lost only outbuildings. Their heroic air show was a dance I will never forget. Helicopters, jets, prop planes, and ground crews swooping in and out, accomplishing miracles, YAY!

After this close call, Pete and I checked our home insurance and increased it to cover the cost of rebuilding. We also went around our home and property photographing and describing all of the buildings and things in them. This made our bills higher but we thought it was worth it. Now, we are in the process of negotiating to receive that insurance coverage. At some point, we should win the ARM WRESTLING MATCH with the insurance carrier, then we can proceed. So, our belts tighten up and we do what we can do until then.

Elk is a community I love. It is full of strong and opinionated “freedom-loving” people. We work things out for ourselves, thank you. And we know our neighbors.

Many of us have lost absolutely everything and are still displaced 6 months after the wildfire. But, we will not be giving up. Dealing with the loss of all of our STUFF is hard, but even if you see a tear leak out of my eye, I will not give up. I have a lot less clutter in my life.

The sun keeps coming up each morning and setting each night no matter how I feel. We are still required to go to work or attend school, and take care of the kids and animals. Life goes on.

We shiver as we continue to experience the chilly and below-zero temperatures this winter. We miss the beauty of our trees, but will replant. God is good and he has a reason for everything.