President Donald Trump has approved a major disaster declaration for Oregon, providing critical federal assistance to communities devastated by a series of severe storms, landslides, and flooding that struck the region in late 2025. The move, announced Saturday by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is part of a broader wave of approvals that granted similar disaster status to six other states this week.
The decision means Trump approves Oregon’s disaster request for December 2025 storms, landslides and flooding, unlocking federal funding for public infrastructure repairs and direct aid for survivors. The declaration specifically targets damages occurring between December 15 and December 21, 2025, when straight-line winds and mudslides tore through multiple regions of the state.
Federal support is now available to state, tribal, and local governments, as well as qualifying private nonprofit organizations, to repair and replace facilities in Clackamas, Hood River, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Polk, Tillamook, Union, and Yamhill counties. These areas bore the brunt of the weather systems, which left utility crews struggling to restore power and local governments facing mounting recovery costs.
A Shift in DHS Leadership
The announcement comes as a potential turning point for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the former Republican senator from Oklahoma, is now only a few weeks into his tenure. His arrival follows the March firing of his predecessor, Kristi Noem, a period marked by significant leadership turmoil within the agency.
Mullin has signaled a desire to accelerate the processing of pending requests to ensure the federal government is prepared for the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season, which officially begins June 1. During a recent visit to North Carolina to survey recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene, Mullin emphasized the urgency of the task.
“We’re trying to push this stuff forward as fast as possible,” Mullin said, acknowledging that “disasters are happening constantly.”
Despite the current approvals, the agency’s operational capacity remains under pressure. The DHS is currently in the midst of an eight-week shutdown. While the Federal Emergency Management Agency can continue disaster response because its Disaster Relief Fund does not lapse during a shutdown, that fund is running dangerously low. A pending DHS appropriations bill would replenish the fund with more than $26 billion.
The ‘State-First’ Philosophy and Political Friction
The current administration has consistently pushed for a shift in how the U.S. Handles catastrophe, advocating for states to capture more primary responsibility for their own recovery. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated that the president evaluates requests “with great care and consideration” to ensure federal tax dollars supplement, rather than substitute, state obligations.
According to Jackson, the administration’s goal is for state and local governments to “invest in their own resilience before disaster strikes, making response less urgent and recovery less prolonged.”
Though, this philosophy has led to friction with several state leaders, particularly in Democrat-led states. Maryland Governor Wes Moore recently described the president’s twice-denied request for support following May 2025 flooding as “deeply frustrating,” noting that a FEMA assessment had identified over $33 million in damages.
This tension is compounded by a noticeable slowdown in the approval process. While disaster declarations are ultimately at the president’s discretion, historical data shows a widening gap in response times:
| Era | Average Approval Time |
|---|---|
| 1990s – Early 2000s | Less than 2 weeks |
| Previous Decade | Approximately 3 weeks |
| Current Term (per AP analysis) | More than 1 month |
Unresolved Appeals and Missing Mitigation
While Oregon and six other states—Alaska, Idaho, Montana, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Washington—received approvals this week, many other jurisdictions remain in limbo. Approximately 15 requests from various states and tribes remain pending, and three appeals of previous denials are still under review.
Arizona, for example, has been waiting nearly three months for a decision on its appeal after being denied support for severe storms and flooding that occurred in September. While the president amended past declarations for Tennessee and Mississippi to add more counties for winter storm assistance, other states continue to wait.
A significant omission in this week’s approvals is the lack of hazard mitigation funding. Once a standard addition to disaster declarations, hazard mitigation helps communities rebuild with greater resilience to prevent future damage. The administration has not approved a hazard mitigation request in more than a year, leaving many communities to rebuild using the same vulnerable designs that failed during the December storms.
The future of the agency remains uncertain as the administration awaits a recommendation report from the FEMA Review Council. That report is expected to outline sweeping changes to how the federal government supports disaster resilience and recovery, potentially further reducing the federal footprint in state-level emergencies.
The next critical checkpoint for the agency will be the arrival of the Atlantic hurricane season on June 1, which will serve as a primary test of Secretary Mullin’s ability to streamline disaster response amidst an ongoing funding impasse.
Do you live in one of the affected Oregon counties? Share your recovery experience or ask questions in the comments below.
