Mike Salsbury/The Olympian
Joe Allbaugh (left), director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, tours downtown Olympia on Thursday with (from left) Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., State Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, and Democratic Lt. Gov. Brad Owen.

Emergency chief pledges quick aid

PATRICK CONDON, THE OLYMPIAN

OLYMPIA -- Joe Allbaugh, Federal Emergency Management Agency director, toured earthquake damage in downtown Olympia Wednesday and pledged immediate help.

"Our first priority is individuals and small-business owners," said Allbaugh, who became head of FEMA just 11 days ago. "Unfortunately, they bear the brunt of this kind of thing."

The declaration will allow the Bush administration to act quickly, he said.

"My job is to cut through the red tape."

Within hours of Allbaugh's tour, President Bush declared six Western Washington counties a major disaster.

Federal help

Under the declaration, residents and business owners in Thurston, Lewis, Mason, Pierce, King and Kitsap counties are eligible to apply for federal aid.

The assistance, which will be coordinated by FEMA, can include grants to help pay for temporary housing, minor home repairs and other disaster-related costs.

Low-interest loans from the Small Business Administration also will be available, to cover residential and business losses not fully covered by insurance.

Gov. Gary Locke asked Bush for the disaster-area declaration.

In his letter to the president, Locke said federal assistance is necessary to make the state whole again.

"I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capability of the state and the affected local governments," Locke wrote.

A FEMA formula for calculating preliminary damages estimated that the total losses due to the quake will exceed $1 billion, Locke said. That amount includes public and private property damage and business losses.

"It's important that we get back to normal," Locke said at a Thursday press conference. "It's important that we clean up. ... we obviously have a lot of work to do."

Tour of rubble

Allbaugh flew to Washington Wednesday night, where he was joined by U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and U.S. Reps. Brian Baird, Jim McDermott, Jay Inslee and Jennifer Dunn.

The group traveled to Olympia, where city, county and state officials talked about damages.

The group rode in a convoy to downtown Olympia, where they set out on a walking tour that took them from the Olympian Hotel, along Sixth Avenue to Capitol Way. The group saw the destruction at Washington Federal Savings.

The group also drove past the Fourth Avenue bridge, and made a brief stop on the Capitol Campus.

Allbaugh said the tour of damages in Olympia was his first as FEMA director. Allbaugh was impressed with the damage he saw.

"Oh wow," Allbaugh muttered as he viewed a pile of rubble that had been part of the wall of Skookum Bay Outfitters.

Allbaugh was in Olympia for two hours before he left for tours of Tacoma and Seattle.

Allbaugh his visit was to get a preliminary view of the damage, and that FEMA teams will make more serious assessments in the coming weeks.

"The president is committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of people in the earthquake area," Allbaugh said.

Olympian reporter Brad Shannon contributed to this report.

Patrick Condon covers state government and politics for the Olympian. He can be reached at 753-1688.

Whom to call

Residents and business owners who sustained earthquake losses can begin the disaster application process by calling (800) 462-9029.

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