Teton County emergency management coordinator: other sources of aid faster than FEMA

JACKSON (WNE) — Jackson Hole government leaders will not apply for disaster relief aid through the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the wake of Teton Pass collapsing.

Rich Ochs, Teton County’s emergency management coordinator, said disaster declarations from the county would be a “moot point.”

“The governor has already said he’s helping,” Ochs said, and the state’s highway department sought financial assistance through the Federal Highway Administration, not FEMA.

“It’s a much faster process, and it’s a much better route for funding,” Ochs said.

The FEMA process would require a series of applications through the governor, stating what the community has suffered, what it needs and that it doesn’t have resources.

The indefinite closure of Highway 22 is certainly a “serious incident,” Ochs said, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good candidate for a FEMA application.

There have been no deaths or loss of property. The only injury was of the motorcyclist who last week first ran over a crack that developed into a landslide. The county and town of Jackson have not suffered any direct financial losses, Ochs said, and are not responsible for fixing the highway.

“So we would essentially be asking for money to help the state fix the problem, which the state has already done,” he said.

Ochs also cautioned against any type of declaration.

“No matter how focused you make it on the area,” he said, “once it hits the media, the story is going to be Jackson Hole is closed. And Jackson Hole is not closed.”

Wyoming last received FEMA money during the COVID-19 pandemic when the agency approved $73 million for community-based testing services, lost wages assistance and reimbursement to agencies offering assistance.

This story was published on June 12, 2024.