SUMAS — Sen. Maria Cantwell visited Sumas Tuesday afternoon to meet with Whatcom County leaders and businesses, touring the flood-ravaged town and discussing short-term and long-term aid.
Local officials estimate recent flooding caused more than $100 million in damages to public infrastructure and private property across the county. At least 120 residents are still in temporary housing.
“This flood is not the flood of record. There have been bigger floods, but it’s the most impactful flood,” said John Gargett from Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office’s Division of Emergency Management. “We’ve got a lot more urbanization going on. We have a lot of changes geographically and so the water made a big difference.”
Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu and local mayors emphasized the need for places like Sumas and Everson to receive immediate financial assistance to rebuild.
“The money: we need it for infrastructure, rebuilding and modernizing, and the families who have no homes,” Sidhu said.
Sidhu looked to next winter, fearing another flood, and asked Cantwell to find a way to send direct funding to Whatcom County in time to put protective measures in place.
Cantwell visited Bob’s Burgers and Brew and Loca Mocha on Cherry Street in Sumas. Both businesses experienced significant financial setbacks from COVID-19 when the Canadian border shut down. Now, with significant flood damage keeping away loyal local customers, they’ve struggled to pay for repairs and stay open.
“The community needs you because the community needs you to stay,” Cantwell said to Loca Mocha owner Nicole Postma. “You’re part of the infrastructure. You’re part of what makes the community so successful.”
Postma discussed the lack of available aid and her inability to take out more Small Business Association loans because she maxed out the assistance in earlier stages of the pandemic. The cost of repairs and replacing important appliances came from her own pocket.
Cantwell also spoke with representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. They discussed aid options and what they need from the federal government to provide more comprehensive aid in the county.
Paula Harris, a river and flood manager with Whatcom County Public Works, brought up the need to create long-term solutions and plans to mitigate future flooding of the Nooksack River.
Local leaders also asked Cantwell to pressure the federal government to work with Canada to help mitigate flooding impacts on both sides of the border.
