Washington – Monster Storms Devastate Northwest

Olympia, Washington

AFSCME members responded rapidly to the flooding that followed hurricane-force winds and torrential rainfall in early December, damaging hundreds of homes and businesses in a six-county area of southwest Washington.

Immediately, generous members donated toys, shovels, cleaning supplies, jackets, furniture and other useful items.

Providing assistance directly through their jobs were transportation, public works and health department employees, water-quality inspectors, school district maintenance workers, building inspectors and others.

Washington Federation of State Employees/AFSCME Council 28 offered affected members an application for emergency assistance, downloadable through its website, wfse.org, and directly from locals. At the same time, Washing ton State Council of County and City Employees/AFSCME Council 2, quickly began assessing the needs of its members, at least one of whom lost everything.

Storms’ Aftermath | Flooding in Washington state in December overwhelmed Interstate 5 in Chehalis and poured into the grounds of Green Hill Academic School, where members of Local 862 (Council 28) work to rehabilitate juvenile offenders. Photo Credit: Patty Erhardt