Feds Approve Gov`s Request for Disaster Relief

FEMA Declares Disaster Over Winter Flooding in Oregon, making aid available.

Photo By: Tim King

(SALEM) - The federal government has approved Governor Ted Kulongoski`s request for declaration of a major disaster in Oregon, resulting from severe storms that battered the state in December and January.

`I`m grateful for this timely action to approve my request, and I`m anxious to start reimbursing local governments and state agencies for the costs of dealing with this disaster," Governor Kulongoski said. `I`m proud of the effort that state and local officials made, not only to protect lives and property that the storms endangered, but also to help minimize the expense to taxpayers."

The Governor made a formal request for the disaster declaration after preliminary damage assessments found almost $9 million dollars in impacts to state and local agencies. The declaration affects only publicly-owned property in the 18 affected counties— Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Douglas, Gilliam, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Lincoln, Linn, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, and Wheeler. The declaration may include more counties as officials verify the damage they suffered.

The federal disaster declaration authorizes relief and recovery help to offset the losses suffered by local and state agencies due to the storms. Such help might include replacement or repair of damaged public property, such as flooded roads and landslides, clearing debris and other storm-related costs. The federal grants will cover up to 75 percent of the eligible costs defined in federal law (Public Law 93-288).

The declaration will also make grant funding available to local government and state agencies for hazard-mitigation grant projects. FEMA has approved Oregon`s recently issued Enhanced Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan, which provides for a larger percentage of funding to pay for hazard mitigation. Oregon Emergency Management and the University of Oregon`s Natural Hazards Work Group led the planning effort, with support by state agencies involved in the state`s Interagency Hazard Mitigation Team. Oregon is one of the first states in the nation to receive the additional funding as a result of having an Enhanced Plan.

The President appointed Lee Champagne of the Federal Emergency Management Agency as the Federal Coordinating Officer for this disaster. Governor Kulongoski named Abby Kershaw of Oregon Emergency Management (OEM) as the State Coordinating Officer.

FEMA and OEM will work together to administer the funding. FEMA expects to open a Joint Field Office in Salem later this week.