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PREVIOUSLY: THE FORGOTTEN DISASTER: King Salmon Was Smashed by King Tides at the Beginning of the Year. Why is No One Talking About It?

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Three weeks after record-breaking floodwaters drenched King Salmon, many residents are still hauling ruined furniture and appliances from their homes, waiting on property damage assessments and grappling with temporary displacement. 

Humboldt Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) is leading the recovery response in King Salmon with assistance from the Humboldt Office of Emergency Services (OES), Fields Landing-King Salmon (FLKS) Living with Water Project, Cal Poly Humboldt, the American Red Cross, Pay It Forward Humboldt and other local partners.

During a virtual community meeting on Monday, Humboldt COAD Executive Director Nick Bown-Crawford described the “perfect storm” of events that led to the unprecedented floods on New Year’s weekend and discussed next steps for recovery.

“King Salmon is no stranger to floods, but this was something that they’ve never experienced before,” Bown-Crawford said. “We’re entering into that early recovery zone, where we’re really mapping out the unmet needs [of] our most vulnerable households, and then working through a matchmaking process [for donations]. … I’ve been working on getting some folks into temporary housing, as they have been directly displaced from the flooding or are now being displaced because they’re having to demo the full interiors of their home and [have] no place to live.”

At least 42 households experienced “major flooding” impacts, which, had a federal disaster been declared, would qualify residents for disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Another 30 homes were “likely flooded,” and 29 other properties were inundated, but floodwater didn’t get inside any building.

“According to FEMA, anything over 18 inches of water in the house is considered a major impact,” Bown-Crawford explained. “We also want to [note] that just one inch of water in your home can cause tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage. The 18 inches is definitely a FEMA threshold, and we’re not holding ourselves to that, but we really have 42 households with ‘major flooding’ impacts [resulting in the loss of] appliances, flooring, dry wall, home goods and furniture.”

Humboldt COAD is currently focused on helping low-income residents complete insurance claims and find the funding needed to cover steep deductibles. 

“People cannot afford these deductibles,” Bown-Crawford said, noting that about 55 percent of households surveyed made less than $50,000 last year. “Multiple households that we’ve talked to have the insurance, but they just can’t afford the deductible, and so they’re opting to try and do the work themselves as best they can afford. … Flood cleanup is kind of a yucky cleanup … because there’s a lot of those hidden things that are happening that can be damaged and exist for years and years after the flood.”

One of those hidden culprits is mold. Valeri Mihanovich, an emergency resources coordinator with CalOES, urged residents to check for mold in flood-damaged homes, even if it’s not visible. 

“If you can smell it, it’s super, super important to figure out how to remediate the mold as soon as possible,” she said, adding that CalOES has clean-up kits available. Additional mold remediation resources can be found at this link.

Want to lend a hand? Humboldt COAD is seeking donations for impacted residents, including plywood, dehumidifiers, fans, extension cords, towels, bedding, laundry supplies, refrigerators, laundry machines, hot water heaters, gift cards and transportation assistance.

You can find a full list of donation items and learn how to donate here.