Disaster Recovery & Resiliency
When disaster strikes, businesses need answers fast — and when the water recedes, they need a plan for next time. Economic Alliance Snohomish County (EASC) works with Snohomish County, state agencies, and federal partners to connect employers to recovery resources during an emergency, and to help them build resilience before the next one. This page is the business community's starting point for both.
Active event resources
During an active disaster, EASC maintains a vetted list of business resources — developed in partnership with Snohomish County — and updates it as the situation changes.
Why this matters here
Known hazards, real events
Snohomish County's geography — river valleys, a working waterfront, and mountain communities — brings real and recurring hazard exposure. In December 2025, a series of intense storms and atmospheric rivers produced historic flooding across the county and Camano Island, damaging homes, farms, and businesses, with impacts concentrated in the Snohomish River valley. EASC partnered with Snohomish County to compile and vet business recovery resources, and the U.S. Small Business Administration opened a Disaster Loan Outreach Center at the Snohomish Library to help owners apply for assistance.
Flooding is the most frequent hazard, but the county's planning also accounts for earthquakes (including the Southern Whidbey Island Fault), landslides, wildfire and smoke, severe winter weather, and volcanic hazards. For businesses, the practical question is the same across all of them: how fast can you reopen, and what does it take to be ready?
How EASC helps
Before, during, and after
Before — preparedness — connecting employers to continuity-planning tools and preparedness resources, and raising awareness through EASC's programming and outreach.
During — information — maintaining a vetted, county-partnered list of business resources during active events, and pushing updates through EASC's channels.
After — recovery — helping businesses navigate SBA disaster loans, state and federal programs, and reconstruction financing; connecting them to SBDC advisors and county recovery staff.
Always — advocacy — representing the business community's recovery needs with county, state, and federal partners, including through EASC's annual D.C. Fly-In and legislative engagement.
If your business has been hit
First steps
Ensure safety first
People before property. Follow guidance from local emergency management and first responders. Do not enter damaged structures until they are cleared.
Document everything, before you clean up
Photograph damage before any repairs or emergency work begins, and again afterward. Use wide shots for context and close-ups for detail, include a scale reference, and use geo-tagged photos where possible. Insurance claims and nearly every assistance application depend on this documentation.
Report your damage
Snohomish County collects damage reports through its Department of Emergency Management. These reports help build the case for state and federal disaster declarations — reporting quickly matters for the whole community, not just your claim.
Contact your insurer
Start your claim early. Note that standard commercial policies typically exclude flood damage — flood coverage is usually separate.
Explore disaster assistance
SBA disaster loans are often the most accessible option for businesses. See the programs below, and contact EASC or an SBDC advisor for free help navigating them.
Recovery funding & assistance
Federal, state, and local programs
Available programs depend on whether a disaster declaration has been issued and what type. The following are the primary channels for business recovery:
| Program | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|
| SBA Disaster Loans | The primary federal tool for business recovery. Covers physical damage and economic injury (EIDL) — buildings, equipment, inventory, and working capital. Businesses may be eligible for up to $2 million for combined physical and economic losses. Borrowers may also qualify for a loan increase of up to 20% of the physical damage amount specifically to harden the property against future disasters. | sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance |
| FEMA assistance | Available following a presidential disaster declaration. Public Assistance supports government and certain nonprofit infrastructure; Individual Assistance supports households. Most businesses are directed to SBA rather than FEMA. | fema.gov |
| EDA Disaster Recovery | Economic Development Administration supplemental grants for regional economic recovery and resilience infrastructure — a community-scale tool rather than an individual business one. | eda.gov |
| USDA / FSA programs | For farms and rural businesses: Emergency Farm Loans, the Emergency Conservation Program (cost-share for restoring farmland), livestock and crop loss programs, and related assistance. | fsa.usda.gov |
| HUD CDBG-DR | Community Development Block Grant — Disaster Recovery. Long-term rebuilding support for communities and small businesses, allocated through state and local government. | hud.gov |
| WA Employment Security | Worker income support, employer reporting flexibility, and business continuity tools. Disaster Unemployment Assistance may be available following a federal declaration. | esd.wa.gov |
| Small Business Flex Fund | State-supported flexible loans for small businesses and nonprofits, including those recovering from disruption. | commerce.wa.gov |
| CDFI lending | Mission-driven lenders such as Craft3 and Business Impact NW often serve businesses that cannot access conventional credit after a disaster. | https://www.cdfifund.gov/ |
Building resilience before the next event
Continuity planning
The businesses that recover fastest are the ones that planned. A basic continuity plan does not require a consultant — it requires deciding a few things in advance:
Know your exposure — is your site in a floodplain? What is your seismic risk? Snohomish County's hazard mapping and your local jurisdiction can tell you.
Check your coverage — standard commercial policies generally exclude flood. Review business interruption coverage specifically, not just property.
Write the plan down — who calls whom, where people go, how customers are notified, what gets moved first. SBA and Ready.gov publish free templates.
Protect your data — off-site or cloud backups, tested restores. Records loss ends more businesses than water does.
Map your supply chain — identify single-source suppliers and know your alternates before you need them.
Harden the building — SBA disaster loans can include an increase of up to 20% of physical damage specifically for mitigation. Recovery is the cheapest time to build back stronger.
Who does what
Partners in preparedness and recovery
| Organization | Role |
|---|---|
| Snohomish County Dept. of Emergency Management | Lead local agency: incident response, damage reporting, declarations, public information. |
| Economic Alliance Snohomish County | Business-facing resource navigation, recovery-program connection, and advocacy for the business community. |
| U.S. Small Business Administration | Disaster loans for businesses, homeowners, and renters; Disaster Loan Outreach Centers during declared events. |
| Washington SBDC | Free one-on-one advising, including continuity planning and disaster loan application help. |
| WA Emergency Management Division | State coordination, state declarations, and the bridge to federal assistance. |
| WA Dept. of Commerce | State business programs, the Small Business Flex Fund, and long-term recovery funding. |
| Snohomish County PUD | Power restoration and post-event electrical safety guidance. |
| Local chambers of commerce | Ground-level outreach to affected businesses; often the fastest channel to the smallest employers. |
| Snohomish Conservation District | Farm and land recovery support, including flood recovery for agricultural operations. |
We're here before, during, and after
If your business has been affected by a disaster — or you want help planning for one — contact Economic Alliance Snohomish County at economicalliancesc.org. There is no cost.
Sources
- Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management — snohomishcountywa.gov
- U.S. Small Business Administration (disaster assistance) — www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance
- FEMA — www.fema.gov
- U.S. Economic Development Administration — www.eda.gov
- USDA Farm Service Agency — www.fsa.usda.gov
- Washington State Department of Commerce; Employment Security Department
- Economic Alliance Snohomish County disaster resources — www.economicalliancesc.org