Gov. Brown declares 10-county winter storm emergency
(Update: Adding Tim Knopp statement)
Gov. Kate Brown on Thursday declared a state of emergency in 10 Oregon counties, including Deschutes, due to severe winter storm conditions.
The counties included are: Coos, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Linn, and Marion.
The declaration comes at the request of local officials and is based on the recommendations of the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.
“As our state and local authorities continue to work hard to clear roads, reconnect power and ensure the safety of the community, this declaration will provide additional resources and the potential for federal highway system funds in the future,” Brown said.
“I urge all Oregonians to follow the recommendations of local authorities, and avoid travel while ODOT crews work on the roads and restore core services.”
The governor’s declaration directs OEM to coordinate the deployment of the Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon State Police and the Oregon National Guard to support local communities as needed.
OEM will facilitate the access and use of state resources, personnel and equipment to protect communities, property and the environment, and aid in the recovery from heavy snow and ice accumulation, high winds, flooding, and landslides.
The declaration will also enable ODOT to activate the Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief Program to help repair transportation systems.
The state of emergency will be in effect for 30 days, unless terminated sooner by the governor.
The Office of Emergency Management will continue to provide regular updates, which will be made available here: https://twitter.com/oregonoem.
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Senator Tim Knopp (R-Bend) responded to Governor Kate Brown’s declaration of a state of emergency for Deschutes County on Thursday.
“I applaud the governor’s choice to mobilize the state’s resources to bolster local agencies to better manage this storm. With power outages, highway closures and record-setting snow packs, safety precautions need to be taken. Thank you to ODOT and other local agencies that have spent hours working in dangerous conditions to maintain our roads,” stated Knopp.
State of emergency declarations allow for easier coordination between local, city, and federal resources. The declaration comes as the request from local officials working in coordination with the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.
Departments like the National Guard are unable to act without a state of emergency being declared.
“We appreciate the improved coordination between ODOT and local agencies to maintain safe roads throughout Deschutes,” stated Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Henderson.
Knopp added, “It’s about safety. Given the record-breaking amount of snowfall, we need to ensure that our community is equipped to handle the conditions.”
