Kotek declares flood emergency for Southeast Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Because the floodwaters in Harney County and on the Burns Paiute Reservation " have created serious public health and environmental hazards," Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek declared a flood emergency for the southeastern part of the state.
The declaration, announced Saturday, will stay in effect until April 30, the governor's office said.
“The conditions are evolving rapidly, and my office is monitoring closely," Kotek said in a statement. "I urge residents to check on your neighbors, follow the instructions and evacuation levels issued by emergency officials, subscribe to emergency alerts on ORAlert.gov, have an evacuation plan, prepare a go-kit, and stay aware of changing conditions.”
Kotek earlier declared flood emergencies for other parts of the state and the Office of Emergency Management has been working with local authorities for support and sandbagging assistance.
This past Monday, the governor called out the federal government. She said $129 million in FEMA funding is now out of reach because of pending orders from the Trump Administration.
Oregon’s US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are demanding answers from FEMA about staff layoffs and grant freezes, which they said could hurt disaster recovery efforts.
KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this story.