Governor declares State of Emergency for Lane County

Governor Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency in Lane County to support the county’s response and recovery following the severe ice storm. This declaration comes at the unanimous request of the Lane County Board of Commissioners.

“Lane County has suffered extensive damage as a result of the winter storm conditions that we’re seeing across Oregon,” Governor Kotek said. “This emergency declaration will support the county in accessing critical federal resources to aid in reconstruction and recovery efforts. My office is monitoring the ongoing weather conditions and will continue to support local communities in their response and recovery efforts.”

The Lane County Board of Commissioners declared a state of emergency in the county on Tuesday evening, citing extensive storm impacts – including damage to infrastructure and electric utilities that early assessments show meet the threshold for a federal declaration – and ongoing severe winter conditions. The infrastructure damage spans multiple jurisdictions and public providers of special district services across Lane County.

The Governor directed the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) to provide appropriate assistance, support a damage assessment, and seek federal resources to affect recovery and reconstruction of damages. The Governor’s Office and state agencies are monitoring conditions across the state and will continue to work with all counties in the coming days in the event they request additional support.

Multnomah County, Lincoln County, Washington County, Hood River County, and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians have also each declared a local state of emergency and are also receiving support from the state, including from the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), OEM, and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). They do not currently require the additional assistance that a state emergency declaration unlocks, but OEM continues to coordinate closely with all local emergency managers. Additional jurisdictions will be added to the declaration if doing so will expedite recovery resources.

Earlier today, Governor Kotek announced that she directed the OHA Public Health Division, OEM, and Oregon Department of Human Services Office of Resiliency and Emergency Management (ODHS-OREM) to employ additional resources to aid in the state’s response to extreme winter storm conditions.