June 02, 2025

Oregon Delegation: Over $80 Million to Support ODOT’s Natural Disaster Recovery Efforts

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden—along with U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05)—announced the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is receiving to $83,215,245 for work it completed to repair roads and other critical infrastructure that were deeply damaged during natural disasters. The federal funds from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will be used to reimburse ODOT for its vital work that was needed to ensure communities across the state can continue to recover from years of severe weather events.

“From the deadly 2020 Labor Day fires to last year’s ice storms, Oregonians in every corner of our state have faced deadly weather events in recent years, which have taken a heavy toll on the infrastructure needed to move safely,” said Merkley. “Supporting disaster recovery efforts should be a nonpartisan issue, and these critical federal funds will support ODOT’s work to repair and rebuild the roads and other important infrastructure that powers our communities. 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.”

“The ongoing climate crisis continues to fuel more extreme weather events and wildfires every year,” said Wyden. “Reliable infrastructure is essential to ensuring that first responders and crews are able to effectively protect our communities and beautiful outdoor spaces. I applaud this federal award to ODOT for crucial infrastructure projects across Oregon, and will continue to advocate for more resources to keep our communities safe and connected.”

“Reliable roads are essential for safety, connections, and the economy,” said Bonamici. “This much-needed funding will make a significant difference in repairing important routes people use that were damaged by severe weather.”

“These Emergency Relief grants are crucial for getting our roads and bridges repaired after wildfires and ice storms, especially as climate change continues to make both summer and winter weather events more frequent and more extreme,” said Hoyle. “Communities have been waiting for this support, and I’m glad to see the Department of Transportation respond to our delegation’s call. This funding means safer travel, faster recovery, and stronger communities. I’ll keep fighting to make sure Oregon gets the resources it needs to rebuild and prepare for the future.”

“Wildfires, winter storms, and flash floods are becoming increasingly dangerous – and costly – for our communities,” said Salinas. “My Oregon colleagues and I have been working hard to secure the resources that our state needs to recover and rebuild from these disasters, including funding to repair damaged roads and highways. I’m glad that our efforts are paying off, and I look forward to seeing these dollars put to good use to improve the safety of all Oregonians.”

“Strong infrastructure is essential to keeping Oregonians connected,” said Dexter. “This funding will help us rebuild roads and bridges damaged by the natural disasters that have become far too common. Every community deserves a transportation system that’s safe, resilient, and reliable—for our families and our economy.”

“As wildfire seasons get worse and climate disasters happen more often, our communities and our constituents will need our help,” said Bynum. “We have to deliver the resources and support they need as soon as possible. This funding is critical in helping us rebuild the roads and infrastructure that Oregonians rely on for work, school, emergency services, and more.”

The federal investments for Oregon come through eight awards under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s FHWA Emergency Relief Program, which helps communities hurt by natural disasters and catastrophic events by providing federal funding for them to repair damaged roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure.

“Oregon, like every state, relies on the federal government to support our response to disasters,” said ODOT Director Kris Strickler. “Having confidence in that support is critical to our ability to respond to crises at the scale they demand, repair our transportation system to keep Oregon’s economy moving, and to protect Oregonians from disasters like ice storms, wildfires and flash floods. I want to thank Senators Merkley and Wyden, the rest of Oregon’s federal delegation, and our federal partners for advocating for our state and for the safety of Oregonians.”

Details of the federal funding for ODOT’s natural disaster recovery are as follows:

  • $30,735,975 to repair damages following the 2020 Labor Day fires. The wildfires statewide caused damage to federal-aid highways from fire, fallen trees, and falling rocks.
  • $23,210,956 for work that repaired damages sustained during severe winter weather in December 2022. The significant rains across Western Oregon caused flooding and landslides. One landslide threatened to block I-84, and a large portion of a hillside came down and wiped-out Highway 101.
  • $20,000,000 for 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.
  • $3,164,000 to repair damages following a series of severe winter storms in December 2021. The storms brought excessive rain and high winds across the state of Oregon, lasting until January 10, 2022. Multiple large landslides occurred, temporarily limiting access to I-84, OR 138, OR 30, and several others. Culverts blew out, causing multiple roadway collapses.
  • $2,765,399 for work to repair damages from severe storms in February 2019. The storms caused heavy snow and ice accumulation, high winds, flooding, landslides, and erosion in the southwestern and western parts of the state, resulting in critical transportation failures, loss of power and communications capabilities, and emergency mass care needs.
  • $2,500,000 for repairs following a series of severe storms in December 2023. The storm system brought heavy rains, flooding, and landslides to five counties and was so severe it caused two roads to collapse—Miami Foley and Sandlake in Tillamook County. It also caused the temporary closure of State Highways 101 and 26. Other federal-aid roads were damaged by scour, washouts, debris flows, and mudslides.
  • $538,915 for wildfire recovery efforts following the 2017 fire season. These fires significantly impacted transportation systems in the following counties: Coos, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Lane, Linn, Marion, and Multnomah.
  • $300,000 for infrastructure recovery efforts following an atmospheric river in January 2021. The severe storm brought heavy rain across Oregon, causing flooding, landslides, roads to wash out on US 30, I-84, and sinkholes on Hwy 101 and many other major highways across Oregon in early January 2021.

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