Submitted by Lewis County Emergency Management
Recovery becomes the focus for Lewis County as the floodwaters recede and most county roads reopen. Team Rubicon, a non-government organization specializing in disaster response, is partnering with Lewis County for recovery efforts. Rubicon’s volunteers, comprised of mostly military veterans and former first responders, will be setting up their local base of operation this week and will be out and assisting the public on Friday.
Rubicon’s volunteers, known by the moniker “Greyshirts”, will be going house-to-house to assist with site assessments and cleanup efforts. The Greyshirts will be focusing their efforts on helping those who are uninsured and will target people’s living quarters as their main focus of cleanup. Team Rubicon will make sure that floors and wall studs are smooth and contractor-ready as they finish cleaning a home.
Immigrant communities and socially vulnerable populations such as the elderly, and those with disabilities, will be the priority for Greyshirt assistance. Those who are insured should work through their insurance company to get assistance with their cleanup needs.
Damage Reporting
It is important for any individuals that have damage from the flood to take an assessment of, and report that damage. If you have not taken pictures of the damage yet, take a few moments to do so as it can be a big help during the recovery process.
Over the weekend the county released the Damage Reporting Line at 360.740.2600 for individuals to report damages to their homes and property. You can call with your name, address, email and best callback number, or you can fill out the forms available at the Lewis County Division of Emergency Management (DEM) website.
Donations and Volunteers
United Way of Lewis County has committed to coordinating the fundraising and local volunteering efforts during the post-flood recovery. Any individuals wanting to provide monetary donations should call 360.748.8100. Those wanting to volunteer should sign up here.
Proper Cleaning Instructions
The DEM website has proper cleaning instructions available to assist in helping with mold, proper drying techniques, health considerations, sanitizing your well, and much more.
