Governor Tina Kotek has declared a state of emergency due to flooding and landslides from recent winter storms in the state including southwest Oregon.
Following Oregon Revised Statutes, Governor Kotek determined a potential threat of life, safety, property and significant damage to infrastructure exists due to flooding and landslides that have caused and continue to cause an emergency.
The emergency declaration covers a total of 11 counties including Josephine, Jackson, Douglas, Coos and Curry counties in southwest Oregon.
From February 24th through last weekend, ongoing storms have caused significant flooding and landslides throughout the state, resulting in one fatality, critical transportation failures, and loss of power and communications capabilities.
The declaration directs the Oregon Department of Transportation to provide appropriate assistance and seek federal resources to repair and reconstruct the $10 million or more in damages that impact the federal aid highway system in the impacted counties. The declaration is limited to the provision of assistance by ODOT to repair and reconstruct eligible roads that are part of that system.
On Monday, the Oregon Department of Emergency Management activated the State Emergency Coordination Center to Level 3, which means the state is coordinating closely with local, state and Tribal partners to share information and support local response and recovery operations as needed.
