Recovering from the ice storm and our future disaster resilience
For all of us that were impacted by the recent ice storms, it’s been a long few weeks and there is a lot of work ahead. In this newsletter, I’d like to update you on what is happening and what resources are available in the affected communities.
First, I want to highlight the public works and utilities staff and electrical line workers who continue to work around the clock to restore power and water. And, to the public servants and community volunteers who stepped up to help our neighbors during the storms, Thank You!
The Damage Caused by the Storm
Last week, I met with emergency managers, and city and county officials throughout the district to talk about what happened to get people to safety and how local government can work with the state and federal government on storm recovery and investments in future disaster resilience.
Potential FEMA Assistance
The process to qualify for federal funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) begins once a county and then the state declares a state of emergency, these steps have already been taken. The President will declare a state of emergency if the state hits the damage threshold for a federal state of emergency.
Once that happens and FEMA is engaged in our disaster recovery, Senators Wyden and Merkley and Governor Kotek will make the case that Oregon should qualify for the FEMA Personal Property Debris Removal to support the safe removal of trees and debris from this storm. A lot of trees were damaged, removing them is costly and storm damaged trees are dangerous to remove even for experienced loggers. We will also be working to bring home whatever resources we can find to assist homeowners, non-profits, and businesses to invest in emergency resilience as we are seeing more and more extreme weather events due to climate change.
Local Resources
Benton, Lane, and Lincoln Counties took the brunt of the hit from these storms. For more information about recovery resources, follow the links below:
If you or someone you know had to throw away food purchased with SNAP due to the recent ice storms, replacement benefits may be requested until Feb. 16, 2024. Find more information on completing that process here.
If you need additional food assistance because you had to throw away refrigerated or frozen food due to the power outages even if you do not qualify for SNAP benefits, resources may be available to you at Oregon Food Banks and FOOD for Lane County.
And know that if you need additional assistance finding resources for this or any issue you are having with a federal agency, please contact my Eugene office at (541) 465-6732. My staff and I are here to help.