Washington, D.C. — Oregon’s Congressional delegation—U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside U.S. House of Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Cliff Bentz—applauds the approval of Oregon Governor Tina Kotek’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in response to the deadly ice storms that prompted her to declare a statewide emergency in January.
The announcement comes after the entire delegation wrote a letter to the White House in March in support of the Governor’s request, which was recently granted by President Biden.
“The impacts that January ice storms had on both the physical and social infrastructure throughout Oregon have been devastating,” said the Oregon delegation. “We are grateful the President saw the urgency and immense need of the Governor’s request for federal aid. This assistance we supported is critical to ensure state, local, and Tribal governments have all the resources they need to help Oregonians recover from this deadly natural disaster.”
Federal funding from FEMA is available to state, Tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis to address damages and impacts from January’s severe winter weather in eleven Oregon counties—Benton, Clackamas, Coos, Hood River, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Multnomah, Tillamook, Sherman, and Wasco counties—and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. In addition, federal funding is also granted on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures in all areas within the state.
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