Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has appealed FEMA’s partial denial of her request for disaster assistance for damage caused by widespread flooding in December.
Kotek previously declared an emergency for Lane, Lincoln, Linn and eight other counties that were hit with landslides, power outages and other storm damage.
FEMA approved the state’s request for public assistance, which reimburses costs to repair damaged infrastructure.
It denied hazard mitigation funding. That’s a grant to proactively build systems that make communities more resilient against future disasters.
State officials say without that preparedness money, many communities won’t be ready for the next disaster and could be trapped in a cycle of damage and recovery.
Kotek’s office said it's appealing because FEMA provided no analysis, or explanation for its denial. It's also appealing because local governments and the state are overwhelmed with the cost and work of recovering from previous wildfire disasters across the state and the December floods.
