SEATTLE, Wash. — Last night, a massive line of thunderstorms struck across the Pacific Northwest, knocking out power in over 100 communities across Washington, Oregon and Idaho. But all power outages can cause a number of safety concerns as residents seek to light, heat, cool or power their homes from alternative sources, and emergency management officials urge residents to exercise caution.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — This winter Washington was hit with back-to-back storms which resulted in two major Presidential disaster declarations for the severe winter storm and record and near record snow during the period of December 12, 2008 to January 5, 2009 and the severe winter storm, landslides, mudslides, and flooding during the period of January 6-16, 2009. Those declarations opened the door for the state to receive FEMA assistance through the Stafford Act, which provides recovery assistance to individuals and state, local, and tribal governments affected by a disaster.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help the State of Alaska fight the Mile 17 East End Road Fire burning in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Disaster aid for homeowners, renters, business owners, state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations affected by the severe flooding between Jan. 6 and 16, 2009 reached $17,017,439 thus far, according to officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Washington Division of Emergency Management (WA-EMD) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

SEATTLE, Wash. — Next week (3-9 May 2009) is National Arson Awareness Week, and the U.S. Fire Administration has partnered up with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Fire Arms; the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud and the International Association of Arson Investigators to educate the public on arson hazards. This year’s theme will focus on Arson for Profit, and according to FEMA Acting Regional Administrator Dennis Hunsinger, arson for profit is more than insurance fraud—it can turn deadly.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Washington Emergency Management Division (WEMD) announced today that additional counties are now eligible for disaster Public Assistance to help with recovery from the severe winter storm and record and near-record snow that occurred between Dec. 12, 2008, and Jan. 5, 2009.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — As Washington residents have demonstrated throughout the storms and flooding of the past few years, they care not only for themselves, but for their neighbors, too. Now, concern for the welfare of their communities is leading individuals and faith-based and voluntary groups to work together in local Long-Term Disaster Recovery Organizations (LTROs).

Salem, Oregon. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced an amendment to its disaster declaration for Oregon for the December 20-26, 2008 period of severe winter storm, record and near record snow, landslides, and mudslides.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Flooding and Washington, unfortunately, seem to go hand-in-hand. Of the state’s total of 43 Presidential disaster declarations, 31 have involved flooding. We don’t need pictures of North Dakota to show us how devastating this can be.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Disaster officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Washington Emergency Management Division (WEMD) announced today that federal/ state Individual Assistance funds committed for the recovery effort for flooding between Jan. 6 and 16, 2009, have topped the $12.8 million mark.