Disaster declaration approved to help North Idaho counties affected by March storm
Christina Lords / Idaho Capital Sun | Bonner County Daily Bee | UPDATED 1 week, 3 days AGO
A Bonner County Sherif's Office patrol vehicle stops by a down tree blocking a road in the county following a windstorm that rolled through the county late Wednesday into Thursday morning.
Photo courtesy BONNER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
U.S. President Donald Trump has approved the state of Idaho’s major disaster declaration to help six Idaho counties and areas affected by a March storm that brought damaging winds followed by intense rainfall from an atmospheric river which caused catastrophic flooding, landslides and debris runoff.
The counties covered in the declaration include Benewah, Bonner, Clearwater, Kootenai, Latah, and Nez Perce counties, according to a press release from the Idaho Office of Emergency Management. The March 11-15 storms had wind gusts from 58-99 mph and intense rainfall leading to flooding, severe landslides and debris flows.
A joint preliminary damage assessment in April done by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Idaho Office of Emergency Management and local representatives confirmed the total damage across the counties surpassed $5.9 million, the press release said.
“As North Idaho continues recovering from the devastating storm, this presidential disaster declaration marks an important next step. It helps provide the resources our communities need to restore public infrastructure, support businesses, and maintain our high quality of life,” said Idaho Gov. Brad Little in the release.
The president’s approval authorizes the Public Assistance Program, meaning government departments and some private nonprofit businesses in the approved counties may apply for assistance to help with recovery efforts. The Office of Emergency Management will be working with potential applicants to submit a request for public assistance within the 30-day application deadline of July 30, 2026, the press release said. The request is the first step to identify eligible applicants to the Public Assistance Program.
During the storm and its aftermath, over 11,000 customers experienced power loss as winds snapped poles, toppled trees and brought debris across power lines, the press release said. The event also caused extensive road and facility damages as severe flooding and landslides resulted from heavy rainfall and supersaturated soils. State, local, and private nonprofit agencies experienced extraordinary resource allocation to effectively respond to the effects of the storm, the press release said.
“The severe weather Northern Idaho faced damaged critical public infrastructure,” said Office of Emergency Management Bureau Chief Ben Roeber. “This presidential declaration will help eligible communities recover from these damages. We will continue to work alongside our local partners and FEMA throughout this process.”