Oregon Senators Demand to Know Why FEMA Denied Federal Funds to Help With Snowstorm Damages

In a letter sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today, Oregon senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) join Rep. Greg Walden (R- Ore.) in pushing the agency for more transparency when it comes to granting federal disaster declarations.

In January, Gov. Kate Brown and Mayor Ted Wheeler declared Oregon and Portland to be in a state of emergency, in the midst of snowstorms which left schools closed, thousands without power and major roads and highways closed. Portland increased its fleet of snow plows by 20 percent, borrowing 11 plows from Seattle. Multnomah County shelters were 45 percent over capacity, at least four people living on the streets of Portland died, and the storm even caused buildings to collapse in Eastern Oregon.

It was the most snow Portland had seen in nearly four decades.

Brown requested a federal disaster declarations for ten Oregon counties, including Multnomah County, on March 9. Merkely, Wyden and Walden also wrote to FEMA in support of Brown's request.

Last week, FEMA rejected Brown's request for a federal disaster declaration, meaning that Oregon lawmakers and residents weren't able to seek federal aid to recover from the more than $17 million in damages from January's severe winter weather, which, according to the letter, come from damaged power lines, landslides, mudslides, agricultural losses, an increased need for emergency services, as well an enormous economic blow.

Read more: http://www.wweek.com/news/2017/05/19/oregon-senators-demand-to-know-why-fema-denied-oregon-federal-funds-to-help-with-snowstorm-damages/