Wallowa begins recovery work after hailstorm

Published 5:00 pm Sunday, September 18, 2022

WALLOWA — Work is underway rebuilding Wallowa after last month’s hailstorm and residents are getting their questions answered, as happened Wednesday, Sept. 14, during the latest town hall meeting.

Construction workers are evident around town repairing and replacing roofs, siding and windows damaged in the Aug. 11 storm that pummeled the town with tennis ball-sized hailstones.

Mayor Gary Hulse said the promised representatives of the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation, the Oregon Construction Contractors Board, the Blue Mountain Region Long-term Recovery Group, Business Oregon and Community Connection of Northeastern Oregon all showed up and answered questions. Many were prompted to go by state Rep. Bobby Levy, R-Echo, Hulse said. He said Levy was unable to attend, as she had conflicting engagements, but her local representative, Andy Huwe, was there.

Also attending were Wallowa County Commissioner John Hillock, county Planning Director Franz Gobble and others from the Planning Department, Hulse said.

“They answered a lot of questions for different people,” the mayor said. “That’s mainly what these meetings have been about.”

He said they have been helping answer questions about builders, insurance “and where they need to go from here on.”

Hulse said the city hasn’t gotten any help yet on answering questions. He and city recorder Carolyn Harshfield have been handling most of the telephone calls. During the last meeting, Sept. 1, Hulse said he heard from Gov. Kate Brown’s office the day after the storm that a public information official to help him and Harshfield would be coming, but no such official has arrived yet.

He said the Blue Mountain Region Long-term Recovery Group is considering sending a volunteer to help.

One area Wallowans are eager to learn about is the $2 million expected to be awarded to the town for recovery by the legislative Emergency Board when it meets later this month. State Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, told Hulse on Aug. 24 that could be expected.

Hulse said about 50 people turned out for the Sept. 14 meeting — about half of the number that turned out Sept. 1.

“It was a pretty quiet night other than people got their questions answered and that helps a bunch. … It was mainly answering lot of questions,” the mayor said of the meeting. “Until the state emergency board meets and determines whether it’s going to give us money, it’s about waiting on them.”