Trump approves Oregon disaster declaration over severe winter storms
President Donald Trump approved a disaster declaration for Oregon following winter storms that brought record rainfall and caused flooding, landslides and mudslides in eight counties.
The decision announced in a news release from the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Saturday will allow individuals, nonprofits and state, tribal and local governments to tap federal financial assistance for recovery efforts, including low-cost loans and grants for temporary housing, home and building repairs.
The announcement did not include any information about how much money Oregon would receive. FEMA spokespersons did not immediately respond to questions from the Capital Chronicle Monday morning.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek asked for the declaration in February, saying there was more than $15 million in losses and damage in Clackamas, Hood River, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Polk, Tillamook, Union and Yamhill counties. Those counties will be eligible for the federal assistance.
Get disaster assistance
To receive federal aid, people should first file claims with their insurance providers, then apply for federal assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621-3362 or using the FEMA App.
At the peak of the storms, more than 300,000 Oregonians were without power, multiple highways and interstates were closed and one person in Yamhill County died, according to the Oregon Department of Emergency Management.
Trump on Saturday also approved a disaster declaration for Washington, which experienced historic flooding in December that forced the evacuation of over 100,000 residents and damaged nearly 4,000 homes. Almost 400 people were rescued and one person died.
Trump has rejected disaster aid for Democratic-run states at the highest rate of any president since FEMA was created nearly 50 years ago, according to recent Politico reporting.
He approved 23% of disaster funding requests from states with a Democratic governor and two Democratic senators during the last 14 months. For states with a Republican governor and two Republican senators, Trump has approved 89% of requests, the Politico analysis found.
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Alex Baumhardt has been a national radio producer focusing on education for American Public Media since 2017. She has reported from the Arctic to the Antarctic for national and international media, and from Minnesota and Oregon for The Washington Post. She previously worked in Iceland and Qatar and was a Fulbright scholar in Spain where she earned a master's degree in digital media. She's been a kayaking guide in Alaska, farmed on four continents and worked the night shift at several bakeries to support her reporting along the way.
