Wallowa to receive $2 million in state aid

Published 5:00 pm Monday, August 29, 2022

WALLOWA — The city of Wallowa can expect to receive $2 million in state emergency aid next month when the board of the Oregon Department of Emergency Management meets, according to state Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena.

The aid would be to assist Wallowa residents in the wake of the hailstorm that ravaged the town on Thursday, Aug. 11. The roofs of at least 400 buildings and scores of automobiles were damaged by the large hailstones, Mayor Gary Hulse said. A handful of injuries were reported, although none was considered serious.

Hansell said on Aug. 24 that he learned the previous day $2 million was to be added to the funds the board is expected to request when it meets Sept. 30.

He said it’s too bad the money can’t come through sooner, “but that’s when the board meets.”

Hansell is a member of the emergency board.

The senator said he immediately called Hulse to inform him.

Hulse confirmed Aug. 23 that he’d been told a $2 million request was made, but had yet to hear if it was approved.

Hansell said the delay in approving the funds could prove troublesome.

“It hasn’t been appropriated yet,” he said. “In the meantime, maybe, assuming the money’s going to be there, they can get the work done.”

Hansell said the city has been encouraged to document the extent of the damage.

The senator said he met with Hulse and Wallowa County Commissioners Todd Nash and Susan Roberts informally on Aug. 16 to discuss recovery efforts. At the time, Nash told him of a drone operation in Pendleton that could be asked to survey the damage to the town.

“My understanding is they flew the city and documented the damage,” Hansell said. “They’ll know which roofs to repair first and help people recover.”

Hulse said residents are concerned their roofs won’t keep out the weather the next time it rains. A load of tarps was donated from Ellensburg, Washington, that Farm Supply, of Enterprise, brought in on a return trip. The mayor said residents have been coming to city hall to pick up tarps for their roofs and sheets of plywood for windows out of concern for coming weather.

“We’ve had people taking tarps to cover their roofs,” Hulse said. “I’m sure every roof in town has some damage to it.”

WALLOWA — The Wallowa community will get the opportunity to learn what is being done to help residents recover from the Aug. 11 hailstorm, when a town hall-style hearing will be held Thursday, Sept. 1, at 6 p.m., at the Wallowa Senior Center, Mayor Gary Hulse announced Aug. 29.

The mayor made the announcement after a Zoom meeting with various state and local agencies to inform them of the town’s status in the wake of the hailstorm. He has said in the past that hundreds and buildings and roofs and innumerable automobile windshields were damaged by the hailstones that reportedly were as large as baseballs. A handful of injuries also were reported.

But the injuries are healing and the Sept. 1 meeting will help residents learn what’s being done to assist them. People are concerned about getting their structures repaired before rain and snow comes, Hulse said.

“We want to tell the public the exact truth as to what we know is going on,” the mayor said. “We feel there might be quite few people in attendance.”

Of the Aug. 29 Zoom meeting, Hulse said there were about 20 participants from a wide variety of agencies that possibly could assist with recovery from the hailstorm.

He said those invited or who attended included the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, Wallowa County Emergency Services, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Community Connection of Northeast Oregon, Greater Oregon Behavioral Health, Wallowa County Center for Wellness, Tim Norton from the Department of Human Services, the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners and state Rep. John Lively, D-Springfield, who is a former Wallowa High School student.

No estimate on the dollar amount of the storm damage has yet been assessed.

“We’re still working on the full amount,” Hulse said. “We’re getting the information out there and letting state organizations know what the damage is and see if they can help the city in any way.”

— Bill Bradshaw, Wallowa County Chieftain