Governor declares statewide emergency

Summary

Governor Christine Gregoire declared a state of emergency for all 39 Washington state counties due to the widespread damage the wind storm left behind.

Story Published: Dec 16, 2006 at 4:42 PM PST

Story Updated: Dec 16, 2006 at 4:53 PM PST

Governor declares statewide emergency
OLYMPIA - Governor Christine Gregoire declared a state of emergency for all 39 Washington state counties due to the widespread damage the wind storm left behind.

The governor originally declared an emergency for 17 counties on Friday, but extended that proclamation statewide on Saturday.

"We cannot control the weather, but we can make sure that we offer as much support as possible while families and communities work to recover from these storms," said the governor.

The proclamation directs state governments to aid in emergencies in the affected counties and authorizes the state to utilize appropriate resources. It also authorizes the Washington National Guard to take necessary action.