Mayor Brown: 'It's been a rough 10 days in Spokane' as thousands return and recovery begins

Mayor Brown opened the briefing with a description of the human toll in Spokane: "It's been a rough 10 days in Spokane. It's hard to believe that we evacuated nearly 0.25 of our population in in a few hours," the mayor said, noting hundreds of homes lost and thousands displaced. He recounted visiting a Red Cross distribution site and meeting families who had lost homes and businesses.

The mayor said city staff are collecting household and damage information through the disaster assistance center and via a 311 hotline, and he urged residents to report their losses so state and local governments can compile damage estimates for aid. He also thanked the many community partners — nonprofits, faith-based groups and businesses — assisting with immediate needs.