Unemployment remains high in flood-affected counties, topping 6% in some areas.
SEATTLE — Residents in 10 Washington counties and members of 16 tribes who are unemployed because of the state’s severe flooding in 2025 may be eligible for additional unemployment benefits.
The U.S. Department of Labor and FEMA jointly oversee the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program, which will provide eligible Washington residents with up to 44 weeks of assistance from Dec. 7, 2025, through Oct. 10, 2026.
The deadline to apply is June 8, 2026.
The announcement comes as the Washington Employment Security Department released statewide employment data for March 2026 that show a worsening outlook.
Washington lost 3,200 jobs in March, and the unemployment rate rose to 5.1%, about 0.8 percentage points higher than the national rate of 4.3% for the same month, according to the report.
Some counties that saw devastating flooding in December 2025 are also experiencing some of the state’s highest unemployment rates.
Residents of Pacific, Grays Harbor and Lewis Counties, all eligible for federal support under the program, face unemployment rates above 6%, with Pacific County ranking third-highest in the state at 7.3%.
Puget Sound counties hit hard by flooding but seeing less economic slowdown are also included in the program. King, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston, Whatcom and Skagit counties all have unemployment rates near the state average, with Thurston County reporting the lowest rate among them at 4.7%.
The complete list of counties and tribes eligible for disaster benefits can be found here.
A series of atmospheric rivers hit Western Washington for about two weeks in December, overwhelming stormwater systems and pushing rivers beyond their banks. Some areas received more than 12 inches of rain.
Flooding destroyed structures and swamped roadways. About 100,000 people were evacuated, many of whom were displaced — some temporarily, others permanently after losing their homes. About 4,000 houses were destroyed by flooding, mudslides or falling trees, according to state estimates.
Many communities are still reeling from the destruction six months later.
As of May 5, FEMA support authorized by the Trump administration has focused on individual assistance and public assistance, two of the three types of federal disaster aid.
FEMA aid for individuals includes up to $43,600 per applicant for home repairs and temporary housing, low-interest loans to cover uninsured property and other financial assistance.
Public assistance reimburses state, local and tribal governments for debris removal and repairs to infrastructure and utilities, covering about 75% of eligible project costs.
On April 23, the agency denied Washington hazard mitigation assistance, the third type of FEMA support. Hazard mitigation funding is intended to help build infrastructure to prevent future disasters and reduce damage, such as constructing flood levees.
In a letter, FEMA Associate Administrator Gregg Phillips wrote to Gov. Bob Ferguson that the funding was “not warranted” to prepare for future catastrophic flooding events.
The state has 30 days from the date of the letter to appeal the decision.
To ensure diverse coverage and expert insight across a wide range of topics, our publication features contributions from multiple staff writers with varied areas of expertise.
