FEMA releases $14.6M for CMH expansion
Published 12:26 pm Monday, September 28, 2026
On Monday, Sept. 28, 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 (D-Tillamook) 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.
“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 Rep. Javadi.
Clatsop County welcomes the release of more than $14.5 million in federal funding for Columbia Memorial Hospital’s expansion project in Astoria, clearing a major hurdle for construction of a more disaster-resilient hospital and vertical tsunami evacuation structure.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency funding will support resilience features incorporated into the new hospital, including a deep-pile foundation and a vertical evacuation structure designed to accommodate up to 1,900 people. Critical infrastructure, including generators and the hospital’s helipad, will also be located above the tsunami inundation zone.
“This victory was made possible by an extraordinary, multi-level coalition that showcases the true power of local, state, and federal collaboration,” said Mark Kujala, Chair of the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners. “Our community kept this project front and center, and people at every level of government continued working together to make sure this critical funding was restored.”
Kujala credited Oregon officials and also thanked his fellow County Commissioners, County Manager Don Bohn, Sheriff Matt Phillips, Emergency Management Director Justin Gibbs, and partners at Oregon Emergency Management who worked with the County and CMH throughout the funding uncertainty.
“When FEMA went dark over the last 17 months, Jon Weibe, Rachel Foley, and Stephen Richardson at Oregon Emergency Management kept us entirely aligned and compliant,” Kujala said. “Likewise, the dedicated CMH project team — led by CEO Erik Thorsen, Project Director Molly Wing, and Michelle Checkis of ZGF — met every rigorous demand to preserve our eligibility. We stood together every step of the way to win for Clatsop County.”
Clatsop County is the governmental applicant for the FEMA grant, working in partnership with Columbia Memorial Hospital on the project.
The hospital expansion is designed not only to strengthen health care services on the North Coast, but also to provide critical infrastructure following a major earthquake and tsunami. The vertical evacuation structure will offer refuge for hospital patients, staff, visitors, and members of the surrounding community during a tsunami.
The release of the federal funding completes a critical piece of the project budget and allows work on the hospital’s disaster-resilience features to move forward.
“This $20 million grant completes the BuildCMH Expansion Project budget and ensures that our community will receive a fully resilient, modern health care facility,” said Erik Thorsen, CMH CEO.
CMH had made the decision to continue the construction of the resiliency features in the expansion, while working with federal, state and local government representatives to restore the promised grant funding.
“CMH wishes to express its sincerest appreciation to Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, Sen. Jeff Merkley, Sen. Ron Wyden, Rep. Cliff Bentz, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, Oregon State Rep. Cyrus Javidi, Oregon State Sen. Suzanne Weber, former State Sen. Betsy Johnson, the members of the Oregon Ways and Means Committee, and all our locally elected officials for their unwavering support and tireless efforts to secure these funds,” Thorsen said.
“We are incredibly grateful for their partnership and commitment to the safety and resilience of our community.”
This is a breaking news story, check back for updates.