Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, U.S. Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Oregon’s U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, and Oregon State Representative Cyrus Javadi announced that, thanks to their efforts, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $14,567,624 in federal funds for Clatsop County and Columbia Memorial Hospital (CMH) to build a tsunami-resilient hospital expansion in Astoria, featuring a vertical evacuation structure for 1,900 people.
CMH had received an award for the expansion under the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program—which provides grants for hazard mitigation planning and projects that reduce risks posed by natural hazards to communities—but faced roadblocks to accessing the funding after the Trump Administration suspended the BRIC program in 2025. Following legal challenges and advocacy by Oregon lawmakers, CMH’s BRIC funding has finally been released.
“You can’t wait for a disaster to happen to start preparing, and this funding finally moving forward will be transformative for disaster resiliency along the North Coast. Thanks to the partnership of state and local leaders, we held the Trump Administration accountable to deliver on the promise of this common-sense project to help Oregonians prepare for disasters and save lives,” said Senator Merkley. “I’ll keep pushing to get this project over the finish line and to deliver critical funding for disaster resiliency efforts in Oregon and communities across the country.”
“This grant funding is long overdue for Columbia Memorial Hospital and everyone who lives on or visits the Oregon Coast,” said Congresswoman Bonamici. “The BRIC grant for this lifesaving vertical evacuation structure should never have been jeopardized, and we’ve fought long and hard for it to be released. I look forward to celebrating the completion of this important project with the community in Astoria.”
“Ensuring that Oregon’s coastal communities have access to health care in the wake of natural disasters is absolutely essential,” said Senator Wyden. “I am thankful we were able to get critical funding released for the Columbia Memorial Hospital after it was illegally withheld under the Trump administration’s draconian funding cuts that are putting Oregon families at risk. I’ll continue to pull out all the stops to ensure our state has the resources it needs to keep families safe.”
“This award is a critical investment in the North Coast’s ability to be resilient in the face of disasters,” said Governor Kotek. “This project can now move forward with confidence in its completion, and the families on the North Coast will benefit from reliable health care access when they need it most. Thank you to our Congressional delegation and community leaders for your persistence to get this done.”
“Disaster relief should have never been held up over partisan politics,” said Attorney General Rayfield. “Oregonians’ safety is too important to play games with. That’s why we took immediate action to fight back and make sure this critically needed project will continue moving forward, providing peace of mind to the entire North Coast community.”
“Natural disasters don’t care if you’re in a red state or a blue state – FEMA shouldn’t either. So when the Trump Administration went back on its word, I promised we’d keep fighting until Columbia Memorial got what it was owed. Today that fight paid off. This funding will help our community be ready when the ground shakes or the water rises,” said Representative Javadi.
“We could not be more thrilled with the news that our BRIC grant funding has been restored! This $14 million grant completes our project budget and ensures that our community will receive a fully resilient, modern healthcare facility. The BRIC funds will help offset the cost of constructing a deep-pile foundation and a tsunami vertical evacuation structure capable of accommodating 1,900 people. The project will also locate critical infrastructure, generators, and the helipad on the roof of the new hospital—important features that will help ensure the facility can remain operational when our community needs it most. Our sincerest appreciation goes to Congresswoman Bonamici, Senator Merkley, Senator Wyden, Oregon Attorney General Rayfield, and all our state delegates for their unwavering support and tireless efforts to secure these funds. We are incredibly grateful,” said Erik Thorsen, Chief Executive Officer of Columbia Memorial Hospital.
“Thanks to the tireless advocacy of Senator Merkley, Senator Wyden, Representative Bonamici, and Representative Bentz, this critical funding is returning to Clatsop County. This victory was made possible by a shared commitment from Governor Kotek, Attorney General Rayfield, Senator Weber, Representative Javadi, and the Oregon legislature’s Joint Ways and Means Committee. Above all, it is a direct result of our community keeping this project front and center. I want to thank my fellow Commissioners, County Manager Don Bohn, Sheriff Matt Phillips, and Emergency Management Director Justin Gibbs, and of course the leadership of CMH and CEO Erik Thorsen. This truly was a team effort that showcased the undeniable power of local, state, and federal collaboration,” said Mark Kujala, Chair of the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners.
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