FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 24, 2025

Douglas County Shares News of First Order for FEMA Disaster Declaration Funding for March Flooding Event

Douglas County Commissioners Tim Freeman, Tom Kress, and Chris Boice would like to share the announcement that President Donald J. Trump granted a Major Disaster Declaration for the State of Oregon which releases federal funds through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support recovery efforts following the severe flooding event that struck Coos, Curry, and Douglas counties from March 13–20, 2025. This first order will release funding for public entities, as FEMA continues to evaluate funding requests for individual assistance. A copy of the first FEMA Federal Disaster Declaration Fact Sheet is attached and can be found here. 

According to a release from Governor Tina Kotek this morning, “FEMA Public Assistance funding will now be available to the State of Oregon, tribal and eligible local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides in Coos, Curry and Douglas counties.”

Following the declared emergency flood event in Douglas County in March 2025, Douglas County Emergency Management compiled and submitted a combined public entity request for over $11M, but FEMA will evaluate and verify all actual costs that are eligible for reimbursement. The FEMA approved funding is designated only for public entities that applied for reimbursement of expenses incurred due to the emergency declaration Flood event in March 2025. The public entities included in the emergency declaration from Douglas County were Douglas County Public Works Department, Douglas County Parks Department, Douglas County Solid Waste Department, Douglas County Fairgrounds, Tenmile Rural Fire District, Standley Estates Road District, Central Douglas Fire and Rescue, Roseburg Urban Sanitary Authority, Glide-Idleyld Sanitary District, Bar L Ranch Road District, Housing Authority of Douglas County, Douglas Electric Cooperative, City of Myrtle Creek, City of Glendale, City of Drain, City of Yoncalla, City of Roseburg, City of Riddle, City of Oakland and City of Sutherlin. This assistance will help these public entities recoup some of their costs related to the cleanup and repair of roads, infrastructure, buildings, equipment, and utilities damaged during the March 2025 flood event. 

As we mentioned above, the individual assistance portion of the declaration request for homeowners, landowners, and businesses is still under review by FEMA. Douglas County Commissioners and Congressman Cliff Bentz and the rest of our federal delegation will continue to actively push FEMA for approval for individual assistance. From March 16-20, Douglas County experienced a historic combination of severe storms, rapid snowmelt, and record-level rainfall. The resulting floods caused landslides, infrastructure failure, and widespread displacement, especially in our isolated, rural areas. Douglas County and the State will continue to work closely with Glide Revitalization, our federally designated Long Term Recovery Group to continue to look for ways to help our residents in the recovery process. 

First and foremost, the Douglas County Commissioners wish to express their heartfelt appreciation to our citizens who once again rose to the occasion to support their neighbors during and after the flood event. Douglas County is known for its strong sense of community and unwavering commitment to coming together in times of crisis. Their appreciation also extends to all our first responders, fire departments, fire districts, ambulance services, law enforcement agencies, utility companies, cities, non-profit agencies, and businesses that responded without hesitation. Additionally, the Commissioners would like to thank all county departments and staff who made it a priority to provide assistance and promptly repair damaged areas. Their dedication and swift response were vital in helping the community navigate this challenging time. The Commissioners would like to especially thank and commend Emily Ring, Douglas County Emergency Manager and her staff, as well as Glide Revitalization for their incredible work before, during, and after the flooding event. 

They also want to thank Governor Tina Kotek for asking for the federal declaration and to the Oregon Department of Emergency Management for assisting in the declaration process. Gratitude also goes out to all our local legislators and specifically Representative Virgle Osborne and Senator David Brock-Smith. On the Federal level we want to thank Congresswoman Val Hoyle, Senator Jeff Merkley, Senator Ron Wyden and of course President Donald Trump for their advocacy in making this declaration come to fruition. A special thank you goes to Congressman Cliff Bentz and his staff for personally visiting Douglas County and for graciously taking Commissioner Freeman’s persistent weekly phone calls asking for progress updates about the declaration. His continued support, accessibility and advocacy are greatly appreciated.

"The process has been challenging, but we’re grateful to finally see some progress in helping our county move forward in recovering from this devastating event. Our staff, public entities, and local communities dedicated countless hours to compiling damage assessments, coordinating with local jurisdictions, and carefully documenting every detail. We will now shift our focus to fighting to secure funding to support individual assistance for homeowners, landowners and businesses!" stated Commissioner Tim Freeman. 

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners declared a state of emergency for the flood event on Sunday, March 16, 2025, at 10:15 am for the entire county due to the ”extreme conditions related to the severe winter storm that impacted our county causing extreme peril to the safety or person and/or the protection of property.” On March 18, Governor Kotek declared a state of emergency due to flooding and landslides in Southern Oregon. In May 2025, Governor Tina Kotek formally requested Presidential Disaster Declarations to provide federal support for flood recovery in communities devastated by the 2025 floods.