Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement:
“I am glad the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released funds to protect Whatcom County homes from future devastating floods,” said Rep. Larsen. “This support is long overdue to communities impacted by the devastating floods in November 2021. I will keep fighting for federal dollars to help Northwest Washington communities recover from natural disasters and prepare for future disasters.”
FEMA announced the release of Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds for Whatcom County on Friday to elevate 16 properties in Sumas, Ferndale and Everson. The grants total almost $4 million and were originally requested in 2022.
Larsen Fights for Flood Recovery Resources
Rep. Larsen is the top Democrat on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, which has oversight over FEMA. After disastrous flooding in Northwest Washington in November 2021 damaged critical infrastructure and over 2,000 homes, Rep. Larsen joined Washington’s congressional delegation in a letter to then-President Joe Biden to support Governor Jay Inslee’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration for federal Individual Assistance. He followed up on flood recovery efforts in Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearings on FEMA disaster preparedness in 2023 and called attention to the agency’s failure to provide effective assistance to residents in Whatcom County.
Rep. Larsen is leading bipartisan legislation to reform FEMA, which would streamline the federal government’s disaster response and recovery programs while also making FEMA a cabinet-level agency once again. The bill rewards effective state and local preparedness, cuts red tape and ensures that relief efforts are fast, fair and free from political bias. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved Rep. Larsen's Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act of 2025 in September 2025.
More recently, Rep. Larsen has been fighting for federal funds to support Washingtonians whose homes and businesses were flooded in the December 2025 floods. Last week, Rep. Larsen applauded the news that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has made available low interest federal disaster loans to Washington businesses impacted by December’s floods. Last month, Rep. Larsen joined the Washington state’s entire Congressional delegation in a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to approve Governor Ferguson’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance to help repair state infrastructure damaged in December’s historic flooding. In January, Rep. Larsen joined the Washington state’s entire Congressional delegation in supporting Governor Ferguson’s application for federal Individual Assistance to aid survivors, which is currently pending approval.
