Salem, OR – Today, Governor Tina Kotek declared an emergency due to severe flooding in Southeastern Oregon.
“Floodwaters in Harney County and on the Burns Paiute Reservation have created serious public health and environmental hazards and they need all hands on deck. This declaration allows the state to act swiftly and help local emergency responders protect Oregonians and the things they hold dear,” Governor Kotek said. “The conditions are evolving rapidly, and my office is monitoring closely. 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.”
Following ORS 401.165, the Governor determined a potential threat to life, safety, property, and significant damage to infrastructure exists due to flooding, causing an ongoing state of emergency in Harney County and on the Burns Paiute Reservation.
Rapid snowmelt has exacerbated flooding conditions in the area, causing damage to sewer systems and resulting in overflow into flood waters. Floodwaters have inundated roads, bridges, and culverts, disrupting emergency services, essential operations, and local commerce. At the time of this writing, public and private property are under water, including homes, businesses, agricultural land, and livestock. Continued warming weather threatens additional flooding.
The Executive Order directs the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) to lead a coordinated, multi-agency response to assess, respond to, mitigate, and recover from the impacts of the flooding. The Governor directed OEM to activate the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), in coordination with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), to address public health risks associated with contaminated floodwaters and hazardous materials in waterways. The state is in close coordination with the Burns Paiute Tribe to support response and recovery efforts.
On March 17, in response to severe flooding in Southern Oregon, OEM activated the State Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) to Level 3. The State ECC has remained at Level 3 and has been coordinating requests for public information officer support, sandbagging assistance, and other resources as needed. Regional staff from multiple state agencies are deployed and working in-person to support.
For local evacuation information, monitor the Harney County Sheriff Facebook page here.
This declaration is effective immediately and will remain in effect through April 30, 2025, unless terminated or extended sooner.
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