Senator Murray Announces $44 Million in Disaster Recovery Funds for Spokane County, from End of Year Disaster Aid Bill She Negotiated as Appropriations Chair, for Ongoing[...]

Senator Murray negotiated end-of-year disaster aid package, signed into law in December 2024, that provided these funds-and required quick allocation so communities can start rebuilding

***VIDEO HERE of Senator Murray speaking on Senate floor about Gray and Oregon Road fires***

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that Spokane County will receive $44,152,000 in federal funding for disaster recovery efforts from the Gray and Oregon Road fires in August 2023, which burned more than 21,000 acres in Eastern Washington and were among the most destructive in Washington state history. The fires combined left hundreds of people without homes and caused the loss of at least $166 million in assessed property value alone-causing more property damage than any fire Washington state has ever seen. The federal funding for Spokane County announced today comes from the disaster relief bill Senator Murray negotiated as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee in the last Congress-the legislation was signed into law by President Biden on December 21^st, 2024.

"As Appropriations Chair, I worked hard to ensure the passage of a bill that would deliver meaningful disaster relief for real people who need help as soon as possible. This announcement is welcome news to communities across the country that have been struck by disaster and are counting on federal support to rebuild and get back on their feet," said Senator Murray. "I'm particularly glad to announce over $44 million for Spokane County, from the bill I negotiated, for ongoing recovery efforts from the Gray and Oregon Road fires-which were absolutely devastating for families across Spokane and among the most destructive in Washington state history. I promised after the fires struck that I would stay in close touch with communities on the ground and make sure they had the federal support they needed to recover, for as long as it took to rebuild-this funding will make sure that important recovery work continues."

"Once again, Senator Murray has demonstrated her strong commitment to the well-being of all Spokane County residents by directing these vital funds to help fire victims and communities rebuild," said Commissioner Amber Waldref (District 2). "I am grateful for Senator Murray's tremendous leadership and years of service on the Appropriations Committee and look forward to her continued investment in the safety and prosperity of our community."

"Thank you to Sen. Murray for helping make this award possible. It comes at a time when many in my community are still working to rebuild and recover from the devastating Grey Road fire. The sheer scale of this disaster exhausted many of the available resources to respond. I look forward to seeing how this funding can be deployed, as we as a community take the next steps together in terms of recovery and being better prepared for future wildfires," said Spokane County Commissioner Al French (District 5).

"The devastating effects of the Oregon Road fire will continue to be felt by residents of Elk and Chattaroy for years to come. The reality is, some of my constituents are still sifting through the ashes and working to recover from this tragedy. Thanks to Senator Murray's efforts in the end-of-year package, we should be able to put more dollars to work to maximize the impact on our community," said Spokane County Commissioner Josh Kerns (District 3).

"This funding will help address unmet needs as our community continues to recover from the devastating 2023 wildfires. I want to thank Sen. Murray and our federal delegation for securing this important funding in the end-of-year package," said Spokane County Commissioner and 2024 Board Chair Mary Kuney (District 4).

"I appreciate Senator Murray's dedication to our ongoing recovery efforts and making such an important contribution to the resiliency of our community," said Commissioner Chris Jordan (District 1).

Overall, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the allocation of nearly $12 billion in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds for communities across 24 states and territories today from the legislation Murray negotiated-a full list of communities receiving this funding is available HERE. Spokane County was the only recipient of CDBG-DR funding in Washington state in this round of funding.

CDBG-DR funding supports disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, economic revitalization, and mitigation, in the most impacted and distressed areas. As the only federal disaster recovery assistance to primarily benefit low- and moderate-income households and communities, CDBG-DR funding can be used to:

• Replace damaged affordable housing and build it back more resiliently;
• Strengthen infrastructure through repairs, upgrades, and activities to increase the resilience of public facilities and infrastructure including roadways, water systems, and utilities;
• Support economic revitalization including support for small businesses, creation of jobs, and assistance for residents; and
• Implement disaster mitigation measures to reduce risk of damage from future extreme weather and disaster events.

The allocated funds will help communities fill the funding gaps in disaster recovery and mitigation not covered by insurance and other federal and local sources. The total allocation amount is based on a formula which considers an estimate of unmet needs for housing, economic revitalization, and infrastructure, plus an additional 15 percent for mitigation activities.

Senator Murray pushed nonstop to approve additional disaster relief funding for well over a year-and negotiated the bipartisan disaster relief package that was signed into law on December 21^st, 2024. In November, she chaired a full committee hearing on the president's updated disaster relief request, at which she again underscored the need to finally pass a robust disaster relief package, noting it has been one of the longest stretches in her memory that Congress has failed to provide such relief.

In September 2023, Senator Murray spoke on the Senate Floor about the devastation the Gray and Oregon Road Fires caused in Eastern Washington, making clear: "communities in Eastern Washington have a long way to go on the road to recovery-so, I will absolutely be staying in close touch with folks in my state, and on the frontlines, and making sure our families and communities have the support they need to get through this." In October 2023, Senator Murray and others sent a letter to President Biden in support of Governor Jay Inslee's request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Washington state as a result of the significant damages incurred by the fires. In February 2024, Senator Murray called President Biden to emphasize the importance of approving the Major Disaster Declaration request-the declaration was granted shortly afterward.

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