Impacted by December flooding? Here’s how to apply for FEMA assistance

APTOPIX Extreme Weather Washington Haji Higa, right, and Lydia Heglin, left, walk through floodwaters at their front door after heavy rains led to historic flooding in the region Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Burlington, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) (Lindsey Wasson/AP)

By KIRO 7 News Staff

WASHINGTON — Washington residents who applied for federal assistance from the severe storms and flooding in December will soon be contacted by housing inspectors with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

According to King County Emergency News, the housing inspector will consider:

  • The structural soundness of the house, both inside and out.
  • Whether the electrical, gas, heat, plumbing and sewer/septic systems are in working order.
  • Whether the house is safe to live in and can be entered and exited safely.
  • Whether any accessibility features that existed before the disaster are damaged or if any may need to be added to make the house livable.
  • Personal property losses.

“Housing inspections are initiated when someone registers with FEMA for disaster assistance and indicates their residence was damaged and/or they lost personal property because of the disaster, and their losses or needs were not covered by insurance," according to King County Emergency News.

Those can apply who suffered disaster-related damage in:

  • Chelan, Grays Harbor, King, Lewis, Pacific, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, and Whatcom Counties.
  • Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, Lummi Nation, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Nisqually Indian Tribe, Nooksack Indian Tribe, Puyallup Tribe, Quinault Indian Nation, Samish Indian Nation, Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe, Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe, Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, Squaxin Island Tribe, Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Tulalip Tribes, and the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe.

You can apply for FEMA online at www.disasterassistance.gov, by calling (800) 621-3362, or by downloading the FEMA app.

Disaster survivors who have questions about the status of their application can call the FEMA helpline at (800) 621-3362.

How a FEMA inspection works:

  1. Storm survivors must submit a FEMA application for disaster assistance.
  2. Once registered, a housing inspector will call or text the applicant and make an appointment to meet at the damaged dwelling. This communication may come from an unfamiliar phone number, so it’s important to answer the call or text so an appointment can be set.
  3. Applicants must be present for the inspection and be able to prove occupancy and/or ownership for the dwelling by showing a utility bill or a copy of a deed or mortgage with their name on it. The inspector will not take copies of those documents.
  4. A typical home inspection takes about 45 minutes to complete. After the inspection, applicants should allow 7 to 10 days to hear back from FEMA.
  5. If an applicant is unable to meet with the inspector, they can designate someone else to meet with the inspector on their behalf. They must provide FEMA with a copy of this written designation.