Gregoire says no fed help to landslide homeowners

Gov. Chris Gregoire says that federal disaster assistance will not help people who have lost their homes or may yet lose their homes to a massive landslide near Naches.

"We need some help here," Gregoire said Saturday during a tour with state officials. "Right now, I don't see where it's coming from."

The massive landslide took out State Route 410 and rechanneled the Naches River across the flood plain a week ago. Officials said about 600 homes and businesses in the Nile Valley remain at risk of being cut off from the outside world due to a combination of flooding and snowy winter weather.

Road crews have been able to keep the valley connected by building up the Nile Road, which runs parallel to the Naches River and provides a bypass around the damaged portion of SR 410.

But officials warn the road will not survive seasonal flooding that is just weeks away. They said the answer is to build a new section of Nile Road that will detour the flood plain to the south.

"We have 30 days," said Yakima County Public Works Director Vern Redifer. "It could be less."

A second problem is snow. The Nile Valley is cut off from the west side every year when Chinook Pass is closed due to deep snow and avalanche hazards.

Don Whitehouse, the regional administrator for the state Department of Transportation, said he will try to keep Chinook Pass open as long as possible.

But he also warned the pass will have to be closed at some point.

Gregoire, meanwhile, said the federal government will reimburse the state for much of the work necessary to rebuild the roads and other infrastructure.

But she said the Federal Emergency Management Agency refused to help homeowners after flooding two years ago.