Merkley, Wyden: Over $15 Million for Natural Disaster Recovery in Oregon

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is sending a total of $15,064,295 to reimburse the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) for their vital repairs to roads and other critical infrastructure that were deeply damaged during several years of severe weather events.

“Oregonians in every corner of the state have faced dangerous storms in recent years, which have taken a heavy toll on the infrastructure they need to move safely,” Merkley said. “ODOT went to work to repair and rebuild the roads and other important infrastructure that powers our communities, and these investments will help cover the cost of their essential efforts. I will keep working to ensure Oregon has the tools needed to recover and become more resilient in the face of future storms while we take on the climate chaos that is intensifying these disasters.”

“Big storms leave big bills for small communities, and these federal resources will help Oregon to foot the bill for repairs ODOT provided for local roads and other key community infrastructure damaged by severe weather,” Wyden said. “I’m glad our state has secured these funds, and I’ll keep battling both for similar resources when natural disasters strike as well as for smart and science-based approaches that reduce the risks from the climate crisis.”

“When these storms caused widespread damage to Oregon’s transportation system, our crews stretched themselves to their limits to keep Oregonians safe,” said ODOT Director Kris Strickler. “I want to thank Senators Merkley and Wyden, and the rest of Oregon’s federal delegation, for helping fund ODOT’s response and for helping Oregon recover from these tough storms.”

The four new awards for Oregon were granted by the former Biden Administration through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s FHWA Emergency Relief Program, which helps agencies repair communities hurt by natural disasters and catastrophic events. These investments further build off the nearly $43 million Merkley and Wyden announced in September 2024 for Oregon’s state and local agencies to repair damaged roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure damaged by severe weather in recent years. 

Details of the new federal funding awards to further reimburse ODOT’s natural disaster recovery work are as follows:

• $9,428,695 for work that repaired damages sustained during severe winter weather in December 2022. The significant rains during this time caused flooding and landslides across the state. One of these landslides threatened to block I-84, and a large portion of a hillside came down and wiped-out Highway 101.
• $5,031,448 for ODOT’s infrastructure repairs following the January 2024 ice storm. This significant winter storm covered much of Oregon in ice, causing trees and power lines to come down across roads and damage signs. The same storm dropped several inches of rain in Southern Oregon, causing flooding and landslides.

• $325,510 for repairs following a series of severe thunderstorms that caused major flooding in Eastern Oregon in June 2023. This flooding occurred in Harney and Malheur counties, causing landslides that closed Highway 20 completely for five days and required significant efforts to clean up and repair the damage.
• $278,642 for repairs following a series of storms in early December 2023. The atmospheric rivers brought heavy rain and flooding, causing washouts of several roads and culverts, particularly impacting communities west of the Cascades.

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