Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
WORLAND — Deadline for agencies or businesses to notify the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security that they will be seeking monetary assistance for damage related to snowmelt runoff flooding is 11 a.m. Thursday.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Monday that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Wyoming to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by the flooding from June 7-22, 2017.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
For Washakie County, assistance will be available to address damage caused by snowmelt runoff erosion to the banks of the Big Horn River or other creeks and streams, but not flood damage caused by February ice jams along the river.
“From April until June Washakie County was in alert status,” said Washakie County Homeland Security & Emergency Management Coordinator Jeff Schweighart, noting that the river crested at 11.66 feet in June, beating the previous recorded record of 10.92 feet in 2015.
Schweighart said he needs a list of all potential applicants by 11 a.m. Thursday. This would be applicants that may have been affected or received damage from the snowmelt runoff and subsequent flooding. In addition to providing Schweighart with the name, each agency or owner also needs to provide the name of and telephone number of a contact person.
Schweighart said the damage doesn’t have to be along the Big Horn River. It can be from Nowood River, 15 Mile or Ten Sleep creeks.
He said there is the possibility of some prevention or mitigation measures that occurred prior to the flooding that may be eligible for assistance.
Potential applicants can contact Schweighart at 307-431-0346 or [email protected].
He said there will be a meeting from 1:30-3 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 15, at the commissioners meeting room for potential applicants. Schweighart said each entity, whether it is the county, city, irrigation district or farm or ranch needs to have their point of contact at the meeting.
Schweighart said there will be three objectives, to approve requests for public assistance, go over damage assessments and go over the process. After the meeting, Schweighart will complete an onsite tour of damage along Big Horn River.
In other flood mitigation news, Schweighart said he will be meeting with the commissioners at 10:45 a.m. next Tuesday regarding removing the sandbar in the Big Horn River north of the U.S. 20 bridge.