Three Idaho counties to receive federal disaster relief after April storms

On Monday, President Joe Biden ordered federal disaster assistance to three Idaho counties affected by a severe storm in April.

On April 14 and 15, a severe storm caused flooding, landslides and mudslides that resulted in substantial damage to Idaho, Lewis and Shoshone counties, according to a news release from the Idaho Office of Emergency Management.

This led the Idaho Office of Emergency Management to request disaster assistance for those counties through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. An initial assessment estimated that the damage across the three counties surpassed $6.6 million.

“The approval of the Presidential Disaster Declaration request is a crucial step toward helping the affected areas rebuild and recover from April’s severe storm,” Idaho Gov. Brad Little said in the press release.

The president’s approval authorizes financial assistance to the state, local and tribal governments in the counties, as well as to private organizations involved in the emergency work and repair of the damaged facilities.

“The spring flooding wreaked havoc, causing devastating damage in these areas,” Idaho Office of Emergency Management Director Brad Richy said in the release. “This funding will be critical for infrastructure repairs. (The Idaho Office of Emergency Management) is committed to working alongside FEMA to support local jurisdictions’ recovery efforts and help them rebuild stronger.”