FEMA denies Oregon hazard mitigation aid after December storms hit Union County

Union County’s next round of storm recovery now hinges on whether Oregon can win back federal hazard-mitigation money that could have helped harden roads, drainage systems and public buildings before the next flood or wildfire season. In December’s storms, about 40 miles of power lines went down in Union County and roughly 2,056 Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative customers were left without electricity for more than two days.

FEMA told Gov. Tina Kotek in an April 23 letter that Oregon would not receive Hazard Mitigation Grant Program money tied to the December 15-21, 2025 disaster, saying the statewide mitigation designation was “not warranted.” The letter gives Oregon 30 days to appeal through FEMA Region X, and Kotek directed the Oregon Department of Emergency Management to challenge the decision. Oregon had asked for Public Assistance in nine counties and Hazard Mitigation statewide in its February 19 request.

The denial matters in practical terms for places like Union County, where mitigation dollars are the kind of federal help that can pay for work before the next emergency hits: strengthening vulnerable infrastructure, improving drainage, repairing public facilities and reducing the odds that roads, culverts and other public assets fail under another hard storm. Without that money, communities can be forced to rebuild in the same vulnerable spots and leave local taxpayers exposed if another event causes more damage.

The storms that triggered the request were severe across Oregon. Federal disaster records for the incident period list severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides, and the April 7 major disaster declaration covered Clackamas, Hood River, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Polk, Tillamook, Union and Yamhill counties. A joint preliminary damage assessment found more than $15.4 million in eligible public-infrastructure damage. At the peak of the event, more than 300,000 Oregonians lost power, one fatality was reported in Yamhill County and Tillamook County saw the highest per-capita impact at $154.29 per person.

Erin McMahon, the Oregon Department of Emergency Management director, said federal mitigation funding is essential to protect infrastructure, safeguard lives and support long-term resilience. The denial was unusual enough that OEM said it was the second time in the past year a major disaster declaration had been approved without mitigation funding. Union County’s emergency operations plan says it is built for incidents that may require regional or federal support, and Union County Emergency Services says its mission includes preparing for, responding to, recovering from and mitigating emergencies. If the appeal fails, that work will be carried out with fewer federal dollars and more local risk.