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News Release

NOTICE - DC LPSCC Behavioral Health & Housing Subcomittee Meeting (Photo) -04/18/25

The next meeting for the Douglas County Local Public Safety Coordinating Council’s (LPSCC) – Behavioral Health and Housing Subcommittee will take place on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at 11:30 am via a virtual conference format.

 

In compliance with ORS 192.610 to 192.690, we will accommodate any member of the public who wishes to watch or listen to the meeting via video or by phone. For information on how you can watch or listen to this meeting, please see the agenda, or contact Koree Tate at koree.tate@douglascountyor.gov or call (541) 957-7790.

 

The meeting agenda is attached and can also be found at www.douglascountyor.gov.

 

 

 
 

*Douglas County attempts to provide public accessibility to its services, programs, and activities.

If accommodation is needed to participate in this meeting, please contact (541) 957-7790 prior

to the scheduled meeting time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attached Media Files: Logo.jpg, Logo.png,

LONGTIME Reedsport VOLUNTEER BILL WHITNEY RETIRES FROM MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAM (Photo) -04/18/25

(Douglas County, Ore.)  Douglas County Commissioners Tim Freeman, Tom Kress, and Chris Boice are honored to recognize the retirement of a remarkable community volunteer, Bill Whitney, whose departure leaves a heartfelt void in the Meals on Wheels program at the Reedsport Bistro Sixty Dining Site. For more than two decades, Bill has been the steady, smiling face behind countless meal deliveries, providing not only nourishment but also compassion and companionship to local seniors.

 

Commissioner Tom Kress reflected on Bill’s retirement, saying, “Bill’s tireless years of enthusiastic service have made a lasting impact in our community. He’s been more than a volunteer here—he’s been a friend, a lifeline, and a shining example of what it means to serve with heart. We are incredibly grateful for his dedication and wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.”

 

 

Volunteers like Bill are the backbone of the Meals on Wheels program, and their commitment ensures that no senior in our community goes without a warm meal or a friendly face. Bill’s retirement leaves not just a gap in the delivery schedule—but a huge hole in the hearts of those he served. The need to fill his role is urgent, and the Reedsport Bistro Sixty Dining Site is actively seeking compassionate volunteers to step in and continue this vital work.

 

Originally from Antioch, California, Bill moved to Reedsport in 2010 and brought with him a passion for helping others. A retired auto mechanic technician, Bill, has volunteered with Meals on Wheels for over 25 years, including 20 years in Oregon. His favorite part of the job? “Making people happy,” he says.

 

As Bill steps into a well-earned retirement, he plans to travel more and spend time enjoying life on the road in his motorhome. While he’ll be missed by clients and staff alike, his legacy of service continues to inspire.

“Bill has been a great volunteer, always putting others first and bringing kindness and positivity with him. I hope he enjoys his retirement!” Aidan Bright, FSW Reedsport

 

WE NEED YOU! The Reedsport Bistro Sixty Dining Site is actively seeking new volunteers to help deliver meals and brighten the lives of local seniors. If you’re looking for a meaningful way to give back, consider joining the team and continuing the tradition of service that volunteers like Bill have built.

 

            Our Douglas County Bistro Sixty Senior Dining Sites prepare meals on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at our seven rural dining site locations in Glide, Glendale, Reedsport, Riddle, Sutherlin, Winston, and Yoncalla. Senior Services staff know there are others in our communities who could benefit from their Douglas County Meals on Wheels delivery program and/or meals at their Douglas County Bistro Sixty Senior Dining Sites.  If residents know of friends or family who are unable to drive, need assistance with daily living activities, would benefit from hot meal delivery, or need other assistance, they are encouraged to call the Aging & Disabilities Resource Connection in the Douglas County Senior Services Department at (541) 440-3677 or by sending an email to adrc@douglascountyor.gov.

 

            Our seven rural Douglas County Bistro Sixty Senior Dining Sites and Douglas County Meals on Wheels programs are managed by Douglas County Senior Services Department staff but are successful because of the dedication of volunteers like Drew and Sandra. To get involved with Douglas County Bistro Sixty Senior Dining Sites and Meals on Wheels programs or to learn more about volunteer opportunities, contact Amanda Hilburn at amanda.hilburn@douglascountyor.gov or (541) 440-4245 or Kellie Redifer at kellie.redifer@douglascountyor.gov or (541) 464-3893 in our Douglas County Senior Services Department. 

 

Thank you, Bill!

 

Attached Media Files: Reedsport.png, Whitney.JPEG,

04-17-25 Douglas County Flood Recovery Update - Next Steps (Photo) -04/17/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2025

 

Resources for Next Steps

(Douglas County, OR) – Douglas County Board of Commissioners Tim Freeman, Tom Kress, and Chris Boice, and the Douglas County Emergency Management Department would like to thank our community for their continued resilience and collaboration as we move forward in the wake of the March 16, 2025, flood event. We are especially grateful for the strong community response to Action #3, our call for photo submissions to support the county’s FEMA disaster assistance application—your contributions have been invaluable, and that phase is now complete.

As we shift into the next stage of long-term recovery, we’re highlighting Actions 4, 5, and 6, which provide critical tools for cleanup, repair, and rebuilding:

Action #4 – Clean Up Safely & Prevent Mold
Mold can cause serious health issues after a flood. Learn how to clean hard surfaces properly, identify unsalvageable materials, and find trusted local restoration services.

Action #5 – Explore Cash Incentives & Rebates
Replacing HVAC, insulation, or water heaters? You may qualify for cash rebates through Energy Trust of Oregon to offset the cost of energy-efficient upgrades after flood damage.

Action #6 – Need Insurance or Legal Help? Advocacy is Available
⚖️ Struggling with a denied claim or legal questions? Free legal aid and insurance advocacy are available to help you navigate your recovery with confidence.

 

We also want to remind residents to complete the following critical steps if they haven’t already:

Action #1 – Complete the Douglas County Flood Damage Assessment Survey
This survey is essential to document the widespread damage and support our eligibility for state and federal aid.  Click here to complete the survey

Action #2 – Fill out the Long-Term Recovery Group Form via Glide Revitalization
This form connects residents to local organizations and resources offering help with repairs, rebuilding, and unmet needs.  Click here to access the form

 

READ MORE...

PDF - Douglas County Flood Recovery Update - Resources for Next Steps

View ALL Flood Updates on our Alerts Page on DouglasCountyOR.gov

 

 

If you or your family were affected by the March 2025 Flood, and need flood recovery resources, insurance help, clean-up assistance, or other flood-related aid please reach out to Glide Rev.

 

 301 Glide Loop, Glide

 (541) 671-0866 

gliderevitalization@gliderev.com

 gliderev.com

 

 

 

 

 

Attached Media Files: 4.png, 5.png, 6.png, 10.png, 1.png, 2.png, 3.png,

Douglas County Commissioners Issue Proclamation For Child Abuse Prevention Month (Photo) -04/17/25

Commissioners Issue Proclamation For National

Child Abuse Prevention Month

April 2025

 

(Douglas County, Ore.) – Douglas County Commissioners Tim Freeman, Tom Kress, and Chris Boice were honored to issue a proclamation in honor of National Child Abuse Prevention Month during their weekly business meeting on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.  The proclamation acknowledges that child abuse and neglect are serious issues impacting every part of our community. It highlights that effective prevention efforts are only possible through strong partnerships and collaboration among local health and social service agencies, law enforcement, the District Attorney’s Office, public and private schools, the medical community, civic and faith-based organizations, the business sector, volunteer groups, and local families.   A copy of the live video from the presentation can be found on the Douglas County Government Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/DouglasCountyeGovernment.

 

Prior to the meeting, guests gathered with the Douglas County Commissioners on the front lawn of the courthouse to line the walkways with pinwheels—part of a nationwide tradition during Child Abuse Prevention Month. The annual “planting” of pinwheels raises awareness for children who endure abuse and neglect, while honoring the dedicated professionals and community members who work tirelessly to protect them. Introduced in 2008 by Prevent Child Abuse America through their Pinwheels for Prevention® campaign, the pinwheel has become a national symbol of child abuse prevention, representing the joy, playfulness, and spirit of childhood—and reminding us that every child deserves a safe and happy upbringing.

 

During the presentation, Commissioner Tim Freeman welcomed and thanked attendees for their commitment to this critical cause. Commissioner Chris Boice then read the official proclamation, followed by Commissioner Tom Kress who recognized 12 local agencies with “National Child Abuse Prevention Month” proclamation certificates, honoring their unwavering dedication to the children and families of Douglas County.

 

Representatives from the following agencies attended the Proclamation Presentation today: Family Faith & Relationship Advocates (FARA), Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Peace at Home Advocacy Center, UCAN Healthy Families, Douglas CARES, Douglas County Human Trafficking Task Force, Mercy Foundation – Up2UsNow Coalition, Mercy Medical Center, Family Development Center, Oregon Department of Human Services – Child Welfare Division, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and Roseburg Police Department.

 

Commissioner Freeman invited each agency representative to report on the work their agency does in this monumental effort to help and protect children. All the agencies emphasized the far-reaching impact of child abuse in Douglas County and the importance of a strong, multi-disciplinary response. According to Jessica Hunter, Program Manager for DHS Child Welfare Division, Child Welfare has already responded to 461 reports of abuse, including 33 allegations of sexual abuse and 99 of physical abuse. She expressed gratitude for the efforts of law enforcement, the District Attorney’s Office, and community partners who work tirelessly to protect children, support families, and promote safety and healing. Hunter highlighted the role of recovered families in building a more resilient and healthy community, thanking all who contribute to this vital work.

 

Marion Pearson, Violence Prevention Manager at Mercy Medical Center, emphasized the power of community partnerships in addressing abuse and exploitation. “There is no possible way to do any of this work in a silo. It is our strength in our community through our partnerships and through collaboration.” What began as a child abuse prevention coalition has grown into the Human Trafficking Task Force, focused on raising awareness, providing education, and establishing response protocols across agencies. Pearson highlighted the importance of identifying and supporting victims of all forms of abuse through comprehensive, wraparound services. She underscored the collaborative efforts of law enforcement, social services, the medical community, and local residents in reducing and responding to child abuse in Douglas County.

 

“Truly the work you all do is God’s work. You are the boots on the ground out there doing it quietly every day, often unbeknownst to most of the community. But hear this from the Board of Commissioners: we know what you’re doing, and we really appreciate it,” stated Commissioner Freeman.

Attached Media Files: cc.jpg,

Douglas County March 2025 Flood Recovery Update: Flood Damage Solid Waste Voucher Program Winding Down (Photo) -04/09/25

(Douglas County, Ore.) In the wake of the March 2025 flood emergency, the Douglas County Solid Waste Department in partnership with the Douglas County Emergency Management Department launched a Flood Damage Solid Waste Voucher Program to assist residents in the disposal of flood-related debris and refuse.

 

The goal was to provide immediate, short-term relief to individuals affected by the flood, while ensuring the County remains in compliance with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) permits and preserves eligibility for potential state and federal disaster funding.  Resources were adjusted to increase the number of days and hours the transfer sites were open in the most heavily impacted areas. As the County moves from the emergency response phase to the recovery stage, this initiative will be winding down, so if residents plan to utilize the voucher, they’re encouraged to seek approval by April 23, 2025 and dispose of flood-related waste before May 31, 2025.


What Residents Need to Know:

  • Individual Use Only:
    The voucher program is strictly for Douglas County residents disposing of their own flood-damaged debris. It is not available to commercial franchise haulers or for community dumpsters.
  • Voucher Deadline and Use:
    • Request vouchers by Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
    • Approved vouchers will be accepted through Saturday, May 31, 2025.
    • All transfer sites and the landfill will return to normal operating hours on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
  • Submit Request Forms:
    • In person or by mail to:Douglas County Solid Waste Department
      Courthouse, Room 308, 1036 SE Douglas Ave, Roseburg, OR 97470
    • Or email: solidwasteweb@douglascountyor.gov
    • Vouchers must be approved and signed by the Solid Waste Director before use.
  • Free Wood Waste Disposal:
    Flood-related wood waste may be dropped off at any transfer site free of charge, provided it is reasonably clean and for individual use only.
  • Verification Required:
    To comply with DEQ guidelines and maintain eligibility for FEMA reimbursement, each voucher request must confirm that the resident lives in a flood-affected area, and transfer site attendants will verify that materials are flood-damaged.

Why It Matters:

Douglas County’s DEQ landfill permit prohibits waiving disposal fees, but Douglas County worked with DEQ to be granted a one-time exception for this individual voucher program. This exception was made possible because of the County’s careful efforts to verify use and ensure compliance.

Improper or unverified dumping—including the use of community dumpsters—could put Douglas County at risk of violating its agreement with DEQ which would have disastrous consequences.

The Solid Waste Voucher Program was developed to offer fast, direct relief to individuals impacted by the flood. At the same time, the County must uphold its obligations under DEQ regulations and maintain eligibility for potential state and federal disaster recovery assistance. County officials recognize and appreciate the many community members who acted quickly and with good intentions to help their neighbors during the emergency. However, it is essential to follow the proper protocols to ensure that all support efforts are compliant, verifiable, and eligible for reimbursement. By doing so, the County can safeguard access to critical funding sources and ensure that recovery resources are maximized for those who need them most. Staff will continue to work around the clock to support residents as expediently and efficiently as possible during this recovery phase.


Looking Ahead:

Douglas County is actively working with Oregon Emergency Management (OEM) and FEMA, who are currently on-site assessing the damage. Preliminary estimates suggest total public and private damage may exceed $50 million. The County has already exceeded its emergency budget contingency by over three times, and is pushing hard to secure additional recovery resources on behalf of its residents.

Residents who have already incurred costs related to flood debris disposal are encouraged to retain all receipts, which may be required for future reimbursement if state or federal programs become available.

For more information, visit the Douglas County Solid Waste Department website or call (541) 440-4267.

 

GLIDE REVITALIZATION OUR LONG-TERM RECOVERY GROUP

 

If you or your family were affected by the March 2025 Flood, and need flood recovery resources, insurance help, clean up assistance, or other flood related aid please reach out to Glide Rev. 

301 Glide Loop, Glide, Oregon | (541) 671-0866 

gliderev.com 

gliderevitalization@gliderev.com

 

Focusing on the Future: As they look toward the future, Glide Rev remains steadfast in their mission to support and uplift our entire community. By listening to our residents, taking action on issues affecting our region, and implementing programs to boost our economy and environment they know they will see great results. Through collaboration, education, and unwavering dedication, they’re committed to building a stronger, more resilient Douglas County for all who call it home.

 

 

 

? FLOOD RECOVERY STARTS HERE: TAKE THESE 3 IMPORTANT STEPS ?

We know the past weeks have been overwhelming for property owners and business owners across Douglas County. If you’ve been impacted by flooding, Douglas County is here to help—and every action you take strengthens our case for critical state and federal support.  Here’s your 1-2-3 Flood Recovery Action Plan. 

 

 ✅ 1 – Complete the Douglas County Flood Damage Assessment Survey
? This helps document the widespread impact and is required for assistance:
? Homeowner https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/ed438c451ca641ff8c6063a401b52d4d

? Business Owner https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/dbfa37426a0e46cb9f312823b85f90f2

 

2 – Fill out the Long-Term Recovery Group Form via Glide Revitalization
?️ This connects you to local help and future recovery resources:
? https://gliderev.com/long-term-recovery

 

3 – Send Photos of Your Damage to Douglas County Emergency Management
? Subject line = Your Full Name + Address
? Attach photos (request upload link if needed)
? Include date/timestamp in the email

? DCINFO@douglascountyor.gov

 

The Commissioners,

Emergency Management,

County staff and Glide Rev SEE you! We’re WITH

you! And we’re FIGHTING for the help our

community needs! 

 

 

 

The Douglas County Commissioners continue to be actively engaged in leading the response and recovery efforts for the March 2025 Flood in Douglas County.  If you haven’t had a chance to watch the March 2025 Flood County Progress Report presented by the Douglas County Commissioners from Wednesday, April 2, 2025, click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zai120rcv-E.

 

Attached Media Files: 1.png, 2.png, 3.png, Graphic.png,

04-07-25 Douglas County March 2025 Flood Recovery Update (Photo) -04/07/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2025

 

Douglas County March 2025 Flood Recovery Update

 

(Douglas County, Ore.)  – While our Douglas County Commissioners, Douglas County Emergency Management Team and County staff work with evaluation and assessment teams from Oregon’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) this week, local recovery efforts continue.  In case you haven’t heard the great news - the Commissioners and Emergency Management staff have partnered with Glide Revitalization (also known as Glide Rev) to be our Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG) for the March 2025 Flood.  Glide Rev’s experience and knowledge in developing and managing a long-term recovery effort for the disastrous 2020 Archie Creek Fires laid the groundwork for the incredible non-profit agency that exists today.   Glide Rev is a federally designated LTRG and they work to support communities impacted by disasters.  We are lucky and grateful to have this group as a valuable local resource to help our residents and communities navigate the road to recovery together. 

 

GLIDE REVITALIZATION OUR LONG-TERM RECOVERY GROUP

Building Economic Stability for the Future

Their mission is to improve community prosperity through Economic Growth & Development, Childcare & Education, Reforestation & Recreation and Disaster Relief & Preparedness. Their focus has always been on looking at the ‘bigger picture’ as their approach to assessing the community’s needs and the Archie Creek fire highlighted additional gaps they needed to fill. As their assistance for fire survivors began to wind down, they focused on building a plan for economic growth and recovery for our region. Collaborating with consulting groups, they developed a strategic plan rooted in community feedback, business insights, and educational perspectives. With this information, they were able to find the root cause of many challenges and identify four main areas of focus to build a stronger, more resilient community.

 

If you or your family were affected by the March 2025 Flood, and need flood recovery resources, insurance help, clean up assistance, or other flood related aid please reach out to Glide Rev. 

 301 Glide Loop, Glide, OR, United States, Oregon           (541) 671-0866

 gliderevitalization@gliderev.com                                      gliderev.com

 

Focusing on the Future: As they look toward the future, Glide Rev remains steadfast in their mission to support and uplift our entire community. By listening to our residents, taking action on issues affecting our region, and implementing programs to boost our economy and environment they know they will see great results. Through collaboration, education, and unwavering dedication, they’re committed to building a stronger, more resilient Douglas County for all who call it home.

 

? FLOOD RECOVERY STARTS HERE: TAKE THESE 3 IMPORTANT STEPS ?

We know the past weeks have been overwhelming for property owners and business owners across Douglas County. If you’ve been impacted by flooding, Douglas County is here to help—and every action you take strengthens our case for critical state and federal support.  Here’s your 1-2-3 Flood Recovery Action Plan. 

 ✅ 1 – Complete the Douglas County Flood Damage Assessment Survey
? This helps document the widespread impact and is required for assistance:
? Homeowner https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/ed438c451ca641ff8c6063a401b52d4d

? Business Owner https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/dbfa37426a0e46cb9f312823b85f90f2

 

2 – Fill out the Long-Term Recovery Group Form via Glide Revitalization
?️ This connects you to local help and future recovery resources:
? https://gliderev.com/long-term-recovery

 

3 – Send Photos of Your Damage to Douglas County Emergency Management

? Subject line = Your Full Name + Address

? Attach photos (request upload link if needed)

? Include date/timestamp in the email

? DCINFO@douglascountyor.gov

 

The Commissioners, Emergency Management, County staff and Glide Rev SEE you! We’re WITH you! And we’re FIGHTING for the help our community needs! 

 

 

HOW TO HELP THOSE AFFECTED BY FLOODING

(Shared in part from Oregon Office of Emergency Management) Counties and cities all over Oregon are experiencing historic flooding events that have deeply impacted our communities, our land and our citizens.  As our local team of leaders continue to navigate our recovery efforts, we encourage our residents to think about how they can help their neighbors, local businesses, and communities in the days, weeks and months ahead.  We are grateful for the outpouring of support from individuals who want to help and who continue to help.  Here are a few tips. 

 

  • Financial gifts continue to be the most effective and efficient way to directly help those impacted by the March 16 flooding. 
  • Besides gifting or donating directly to those you know who were impacted, if you wish to donate to disaster relief efforts, research the charity, group or individual first. 
  • Glide Rev has set up a special March 2025 Flood Recovery Fund for those that wish to donate to local flood victims. Contact Glide Rev directly at (541) 671-0866 or gliderevitalization@gliderev.com
  • You can also make a financial gift to American Red Cross Cascades Region at https://www.redcross.org/local/oregon.html
  • Be careful about donating to individual fundraiser accounts like GoFundMe.  Make sure you identify that they were a flood victim and that they live in Douglas County.  
  • Be wary of scams, verify all claims and requests, and prioritize contacting trusted organizations and authorities directly.
  • Don't pay large sums up front, be cautious of unsolicited offers, and report suspicious activity to the authorities.  
  • Unsolicited food and clothing donations can slow the aid and recovery process, as organizations are left sorting and disposing of unusable items instead of providing support to survivors.  Call ahead to make sure organizations need items or call to find out what items they might need.  Our LTRG is Glide Rev so contact them for any donations. 
  • The Oregon Department of Financial Regulation has some guidance to protect yourself from fraud and exploitation, including for those needing to hire contractors for repair work.
  • Volunteers will be needed most during the recovery phase—your help will be vital, but timing and coordination are key, contact Glide Rev for more information about how you can volunteer.
  • Be cautious about sharing personal or financial information, especially over the phone or online, unless you are certain of the person's authority and need for the information. 

 

MAKE SURE TO TAKE CARE OF YOU

(Shared in part from CDC) While property damage is often clear in an emergency event like flooding, the toll on physical and mental health may be less obvious—but no less urgent.  Emotional stress is normal in disaster situations. It is important to take care of your emotional and physical health.  Pay attention to how you and your family members are feeling and acting. Taking care of your health will help you think clearly and react to urgent needs to protect yourself and your loved ones.  Follow these tips to help you and your family recover or find support.

 

• Take Care of Your Body.  Try to eat healthy, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs.

• Connect: Share your feelings with a friend or family member.  Maintain relationships and rely on your support system.

• Take Breaks: Make time to unwind. Try to return to activities that you enjoy.

• Stay Informed: Watch news updates from reliable officials.

• Ask for Help: Talk to or seek help from a clergy member, counselor, or doctor if feel overwhelmed or stressed. 

 

If you or someone you love is feeling overwhelmed, help is available. 

  • Call 988 – National mental health support line, available 24/7
  • Call SAMHSA helpline at (800) 985-5990
  • Check out Tips on coping with disasters from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

 

SNAP REPLACEMENT BENEFIT EXTENSION DUE TO MARCH 16 FLOODS

(Shared in part from the Oregon Department of Human Service) If you lost the food you purchased with SNAP due to the March 16, 2025, floods, mudslides and power outages and live in the listed Oregon Counties, you may have extra time to request replacement benefits.  Residents of the following counties now have until April 15, 2025, to request replacement food benefits:  Clackamas, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Harney, Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Malheur, and Multnomah.  Learn more here:  https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/ODHS/Posts/Post/oregon-receives-approval-to-waive-10-day-reporting-requirements-for-snap-replacement-benefits-due-to-march-16-2025-floods-mudslides-and-power-outages

 

The Douglas County Commissioners continue to be actively engaged in leading the response and recovery efforts for the March 2025 Flood in Douglas County.  If you haven’t had a chance to watch the March 2025 Flood County Progress Report presented by the Douglas County Commissioners from Wednesday, April 2, 2025, click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zai120rcv-E.

 

###

 

Media Contact: Tamara Howell, Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist, Lead County Public Information Officer - (541) 670-2804 cell - (541) 957-4896 office – tamara.howell@douglascountyor.gov 

Attached Media Files: Event.png, Graphic.png, 1.png, 2.png,

04-04-25 Douglas County March 2025 Flood Progress Report (Photo) -04/04/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2025

 

Douglas County March 2025 Flood - Progess Report

 

(Douglas County, Ore.) – Despite reports circulating in our community that the "State of Emergency" declared for Douglas County's March 2025 Flood Event has ended, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners confirmed that we are still in a "State of Emergency." Noting this, the Commissioners invited a few of our Douglas County Response Team Leaders and a Community Partner to their weekly business meeting Wednesday to provide progress reports of the first eighteen days of our emergency flood response.  Douglas County Response Team leaders and community partner presenting today were Emily Ring, Douglas County Emergency Manager; Scott Adams, Douglas County Public Works Director; Tamara Howell, Douglas County Public Information Officer; Undersheriff Brad O’Dell, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Brian Burke, North Douglas Fire and Rescue.  Each provided a detailed report on the status of their response team assignments.  As you read through this report you will understand the sheer magnitude of this emergency event.  If you are interested in watching the video of the special presentation of the eighteen-day progress report for the Douglas County March 2025 Flood Event, click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zai120rcv-E.

 

DOUGLAS COUNTY MARCH 2025 FLOOD EIGHTEEN DAY PROGRESS REPORT


First to present was the Public Information Team of Tamara Howell and Undersheriff Brad O’Dell.  Howell provided a brief recap of the chain of events that unfolded in the early hours of day one of the flood emergency.  Then she went on to discuss the framework of how an organized command base was quickly established along with the designation of specific response teams and leaders.  She provided insight as to the importance of emergency response communications and the centralization of Public Information.  And explained that “A PIO is responsible for disseminating accurate, timely, and consistent information to the public, media, and other stakeholders.   A PIO manages media inquiries, unifies information for all agencies involved, provides updates, issues press releases, and oversees social media communication.  In short, the PIO plays a critical role in ensuring effective and coordinated communication during an emergency response.”  Undersheriff Brad O’Dell was appointed as the Lead PIO for the first phase of the emergency flood event, focusing on our top priority during the response; ensuring the safety of residents. He provided timely and frequent social media updates in the first 24 hours, as well as activating our various emergency alert system notifications to residents, businesses, visitors and media.  With phase one (resident safety) firmly attained, Undersheriff O’Dell handed the PIO role over to Howell, County PIO on Monday, March 17.  Her primary PIO focus was researching and writing a comprehensive daily flood and resource update then releasing or posting to several traditional and social media platforms, emails, newsletters and websites.  Additionally, she maintained the Emergency Alert banner on the County website; helped establish and write scripts for Oregon’s 2-1-1 call-in resource line; designed graphics and maintained our social media pages; and helped to archive photos and videos of the flood damaged areas across the county.  Howell stressed the importance of having homeowners, businesses, churches and non-profits complete the Flood Damage Surveys.    

 

Undersheriff O’Dell added that the “Our Emergency Response Team is truly a coordinated effort working in partnership with all the county departments and our community response organizations.  I know our commissioners were actively engaged and readily accessible during this whole process.  That is how this county works.  Anytime there is an emergency or disaster, it’s coordinated, it’s thoughtful and swift in response!  I appreciate the partnership with Tamara, Kellie Trenkle, and the whole PIO team. I am proud to be here, proud to be part of this team, and be part of the response.

 

During the first eighteen days our coordinated PIO team completed:

  • Sent a total of 166,077 emails via our various platforms 
  • Wrote, published and released 18 updates, including 3 Facebook Live events
  • Recorded Social Media Engagements: 1,356,992 views; 9478 likes; 4,806 shares & made 64 total posts
  • Received a total of 138 calls via 2-1-1 information line
  • Did 5 live radio interviews and responded to another 15 media inquiries 
  • Issued a total of 5 Emergency Alerts out to about 120,000 people
  • Recorded over 1,140 calls to our 9-1-1 dispatch center on Sunday, March 16 (Average Sunday is around 400 calls)
  • Took 315 aerial photographs and recorded 43 ariel videos for a total length of 93 minutes of footage
  • Archived over 500 photos and videos of the flooded areas 

__________________________________________________________________

 

Next to present a progress report was Douglas County Public Works Director, Scott Adams.  He started by explaining how every weekend his department actively monitors the weather and begins preparing and communicating as soon as they receive forecasts indicating potential trigger events that could lead to major storms affecting Douglas County.  Scott also noted that the end of 2024 and into 2025 has been a little bit of nuance for us with extremely wet weather.  Southern Oregon had heavy precipitation reported in October, November and December, then again in late January and February but with added snowfall in the upper elevations and minor flooding in the valleys.  The wet weather trend continued into March, with additional snow and rainfall pushing our soil to peak levels of oversaturation.

 

Scott then recounted how the events unfolded on the weekend of March 15.  The heavy rain showers came as predicted, but the skies continued to pour, and the intensifying moisture never let up.  Adding to the situation was the fact that the rain was unusually warm, which caused significant snowmelt in the higher elevations. The snowmelt runoff began flowing down the mountains into the already water-soaked valleys, bringing timber, debris, and mud along with it.  It didn’t take much to create the conditions that began unfolding late in the day on Saturday, March 15. Before nightfall, roads across the county were flooding, and by morning, creeks, rivers, and lake levels had surpassed their capacity—completely submerging streets in water, washing out roads, overtopping bridges, surging mud into homes, filling basements, and burying farmland.  The excessive rainfall and snowmelt resulted in over 105 landslide zones (some with multiple slides and debris flows) and dozens of flooded county-operated roadways.  By 4:00 am on Sunday, March 16, several of Scott’s public works crews were already heading out to areas reporting major road damage or severe flooding. Crews were assessing the damage, installing closure, detour, high-water, and caution signs, and beginning repair work. By 7:00 a.m., after assessing the initial impact of the storm, and with 95% of his crew already deployed, he began calling in help from about two dozen local private contractors.  The impact was widespread, impacting nearly every one of our 1,140 miles of county-operated roads.  At one point they ran out of their large inventory of flood and detour signs and had to start using other signs to block access to roads with dangerously high-water levels.  The damage and response efforts mentioned above do not even include the huge impact on all the state and city managed roads.  

 

About 12:00 pm on Sunday, we lost our first section of county-operated roads.  This was at the 3500 block of Hubbard Creek Road in Umpqua.  A 40-foot section of the road completely washed-out taking asphalt, rock, logs, and power poles into the raging Umpqua River below.  The washout cut off access for residents with no way around.  Knife River, one of our local contractors, was dispatched by Public Works to rebuild the roadway and by 11:00 pm that evening a single lane had been restored.  Working continuously through the next two nights, crews were able to build and reopen both lanes by the end of
shift on Tuesday, March 18.  Crews from Knife River are still working hard and addressing issues on the eight mile stretch of Hubbard Creek that was heavily impacted.  (Hubbard Creek Road pictured here midday on Sunday and then Tuesday.)

 

Slides and debris flows continued to be reported and addressed throughout Sunday and persisted well into the next week.  The rain also continued through Monday, and along with-it temperatures plummeted and areas above 300 feet saw 3-8 inches of snow.  Area rivers and creeks started cresting late Sunday night and most of the waters started to recede by late Monday night. Both County and private contracted crews worked all day Sunday and throughout the night into Monday morning with a goal to get at least one lane of access open and safe on every county-operated road.  By the end of the day on Tuesday, March 18, Douglas County Public Works had mobilized 15 contractors (including over 100 personnel and 70+ pieces of equipment), along with more than 50 county employees with dozens of pieces of equipment. They were still working to remove debris, rebuild roads, and clear culverts and ditches, all while continuously moving signs throughout the county’s road system as the water receded.  Initial damage estimates to date for Douglas County operated roads is $5.2 million.  This is still only an estimate of damage as we are still uncovering damage as we continue to remove mud and debris from roads, ditches and culverts.  County roads that experienced major damage included Hubbard Creek Road, Melqua Road, Callahan Road, Garden Valley Road, Upper Smith River Road, Bullock Road, Maupin Road, Goodrich Hwy, Nonpareil Road and Cooper Creek Road.  Currently public works still have seven private contractor crews working on the cleanup, as well as a full county staff working on clean up and repair damage.

 

One of the biggest impacts during this weather event was at Galesville Reservoir.  While most people think of the Galesville Dam as a conduit for irrigation and recreation in southern Douglas County, this time it acted as a major flood control device saving the communities of Glendale, Riddle, Myrtle Creek and Winston from even greater flooding and additional carnage.  On Sunday, March 16, the water level in the reservoir grew over 12 feet in less than 10 hours.  At the height of the rainstorm, the dam nearly reached maximum capacity, just 8 inches from spilling over.  Throughout Sunday, Public Works staff, under the watchful eyes of Commissioner Tom Kress, monitored the flooding in Glendale and Riddle via Cow Creek and the South Umpqua River.  As Cow Creek continued to rise, staff held back releases from Galesville to minimize flooding impacts downriver.  In cooperation with NOAA, staff modeled when Cow Creek would peak at Glendale and then came up with a plan to increase water valve releases from Galesville Dam to coincide with the receding floodwater near Glendale.  During the process, the staff decided to open both turbines alongside the fixed cone valve, which significantly boosted the flow and, fortunately, helped slow the rise in the reservoir level.  Coinciding with a decrease in precipitation, this method prevented uncontrolled, catastrophic spillover of the dam, while keeping the release of water at the highest level possible without contributing to additional flooding down steam. 

 

The dam (Galesville) was not meant to spillover.  This storm took us by surprise with the sheer volume of water it created in such a short period of time.  But our skilled and creative engineering team worked all day and all through the night to monitor reservoir water levels, check downstream water levels, release just enough water to not create additional flooding in Glendale, and made sure all the gauges that we work hard to maintain all year did their jobs.  In the end, the dam did what it was supposed to do,” stated Scott AdamsHe also commended his Public Works crew – from the road manager to the supervisors to the crews, “They pick it up and bring a level of intensity to repairing roads like no other.  We also have about a dozen on-call contracts that we maintain throughout the year, and when we called on Sunday these contractors had iron hitting the ground within an hour. We also have several dedicated staff members that work behind the scenes assigning projects, taking photos, mapping and detailing every incident.”    

 

Douglas County Public Works teams will continue to monitor, assess damage and repair county-operated roadways as water levels continue to recede and they are able to fully assess the damage under bridges, in culverts and in ditches. 

 

The fact that most of your staff was here and ready to jump into help was incredible.  The work that you (Scott) do and that the Commissioners have done over time to make sure we have those on-call contractors available so you can surge capacity and take care of the people of this county efficiently and safely,” commented Commissioner Freeman.

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Presenting a progress report for Douglas County Emergency Management was Emergency Manager Emily Ring.  She provided a quick snapshot of Emergency Management’s response to the March 2025 flood event.  Emily provided a review of county employees and community volunteers hours recorded for this event.   

  • Emergency Management Department: Emergency Manager 160 hours total for first two weeks.  Assistant EM 96 hours total for first two weeks. 
  • Other Douglas County Departments that helped EM: Over 558 hours for first two weeks
  • This does not include the time and efforts of our local first responders and dispatchers that dealt with some 270 public safety calls during the first 48 hours of the incident.
  • 7 Douglas County Departments additionally supported and performed field damage surveys to meet required data gathering for Oregon State Office of Emergency Management at an estimated 50 hours.
  • Central CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) volunteered 35.75 hours

 

She provided a summary of action times her team completed for this event. 

  • Douglas County quickly activated an Emergency Command Center
  • Established a chain of command and team assignments with Douglas County Commissioners and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office
  • Issued a State of Emergency Declaration and submitted it to the State
  • Conducted several multi-partner briefings
  • Made requests for state resources, including technical personnel, supplies for public events
  • Activated local COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster)
  • Activated Glide Revitalization as our LTRG (Long Term Recovery Group)
  • Made a request for Team Rubicon to come to Douglas County and assist in home clean ups
  • Seek out and apply for Funder Supported Paths: PA, IA, FSA, SBA
  • Seek out and apply for State and Federal level declaration support
  • Organized and executed rapid damage assessments
  • Worked with OEM to promote self-report surveys
  • Helped triage resources for repairs on facilities and roads – putting life safety needs first
  • Triaged public requests – put life safety needs first
  • Helped organize and conduct 8 mobile resource centers
  • Coordinated with PIO for daily updates
  • Helped connect people with resources
  • Managed communications with State and partner agencies.

 

Emily then provided an impressive slide of all the agencies that have been involved during this emergency event.

Law Enforcement: Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Roseburg Police Department, Myrtle Creek Police Department, Cow Creek Tribal Police, Winston Police Department and Sutherlin Police Department. 

Fire Agencies:  Roseburg Fire Department, Glide Rural Fire Protection District, North Douglas Fire and Rescue, Central Douglas Fire and Rescue, Tenmile Volunteer Fire Department, Riddle Fire Protection District, Sutherlin Fire Department, Myrtle Creek Fire Department, Lookingglass Volunteer Fire, TriCity Volunteer Fire Department, Camas Valley Volunteer Fire Department, Azalea Volunteer Fire Department, Scottsburg-Elkton-Kellogg Volunteer Fire Departments and Oakland Volunteer Fire Department.

Non-Profit and Volunteer Agencies: Douglas County Public Health Network, Glide Revitalization, American Red Cross, Salvation Army, United Community Action Network, Central Douglas CERT Team, Four Square Churches, Roseburg Christian Fellowship, New Hope Church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Fathers House, Drain Church of Christ, Douglas County COAD members, and 211 Info.

County Departments: Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Emergency Management, Public Works (Administration, Engineering, GIS, Operations & Maintenance and Natural Resources), Solid Waste, Sheriff’s Office (All divisions including Dispatch 911 Communications and Search & Rescue), Management and Finance, Parks, Fairgrounds, Information Technology, Planning, Facilities, County Counsel, Human Resources and Public Affairs. 

Cities:  Roseburg, Drain, Myrtle Creek, Yoncalla, Riddle, Oakland, Sutherlin and Glendale.

State Agencies/Regional Corps or LLCs:  Oregon Emergency Management, Oregon Department of Health and Human Services, OREM, Oregon Division of Financial Regulation, Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon State Police, Douglas Electric Cooperative, Pacificorp, Energy Trust of Oregon, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon State Extension Service and Oregon Farm Service Agency.

Schools:  Myrtle Creek Elementary, Green Elementary, Yoncalla High School, Sutherlin High School

 

This was your (Emilys) first big event with Douglas County and you and your team did amazing!  The fact that we are carrying the emergency response directly into the recovery and there is no gap is new and unique for us and I love that that is what’s happening.  Bu more importantly what is evident in your work is how much you care about the work you do and how much you care about the people that need your help.  It is exactly why you are the right person for this job.”

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Lastly, Commissioner Freeman invited Chief Brian Burke with North Douglas Fire and EMS up to talk about his experience during the recent flood event.  Chief Burke’s unique role with that fire district covering multi jurisdictions is a great example of how the county works with the local communities and meets them where they are.  Drain has an interim city administrator right now and he covers the fire and emergency response for both Drain and Yoncalla, as well as the large area around them.  Chief Burke noted that his fire and EMS district response area covers about 720 square miles.  He has seven full-time staff and is supported by 54 local volunteers.  Chief Burke then provided a recollection of the flood events.  He was short staffed at the start of the event, but had several volunteers show up to help man the three station locations in Yoncalla, Drain and Rice Hill.  Early Sunday morning when he pulled into Yoncalla, which was hit first with flooding.  He noticed quite a bit of flooding and quickly realized that they did not have access from Yoncalla directly into Drain as Eagle Valley Road had completely flooded over and was no longer safe to drive.  To reach Drain they had to reroute over to the freeway, go to Curtin and back down to Drain.  Chief Burke had about 16 volunteers at the ready when he arrived, and they were able to launch a drone to get some aerial footage and survey the area to see the totality of the damage.  Having a good idea of the situation, they quickly set up a mini-operations center at the station.  This is where they assessed the situation, addressed  road hazards, discussed citizen safety, and prioritized crews. 

 

About an hour into the incident, Commissioner Freeman called me and asked me what I needed and how he could help.  I told him I did not know yet.  He said call me when you do.  From there we were in constant contact throughout the rest of the day.  The first rescue was for a local rancher.  His livestock were trapped on the other side of a road with the raging river in between.  With the use of a boat and several volunteers they were able to help herd cattle downriver to a lower point and get them safely across and back to their barn.  Which was a huge help and relief for this family’s livelihood.  From there we started rescuing people from homes.  We needed boats and thankfully one was loaned to the department and two local people showed up with their boats.  One of my first asks to Commissioner Freeman was about a place to take people once they were rescued and in about an hour Red Cross was setting up a shelter Drain.  We had done about 15 home evacuations when I realized I could not reach everyone.  My boats were either too small or too big.  So, I asked for assistance again from Commissioner Freeman and the next thing I know DCSO Marine Patrol was there to assist with the rescues.  We were able to directly share our updates with the County.  Any resource that we needed was quick and easy to ask and if it was available they found a way to quickly get it to us.  We also evacuated an entire adult care home which took hours.  I started my day at about 6:30 am on Sunday and my last call was at 2:30 am Monday morning when I responded to a slide on I-5 that took a communication line down across the freeway.  Which we were able to quickly fix without too much disruption to traffic,” recalled Chief Burke.   

 

He also spoke about a grant that the Commissioners helped them get to expand their headquarters a few years ago and it has come in handy for this event and will help house the Team Rubicon Group that is headed to Douglas County to assist our residents with cleanup efforts.  Thanks to the Commissioners that team will be here to help not only the City of Yoncalla and Drain, but county-wide. 

 

In conclusion Chief Burke stated, “The fact that there are people out there that said that there wasn’t enough done.  I don’t know what else could have been done.  Our commissioners and staff were there for us.  You were a great support first to our citizens and then us as a department second.  I don’t know if you get enough thanks for what you do, I truly support it, and our community supports it.  We thank you very much.”

 

Commissioner Freeman responded to Chief Burke’s flood report by stating, “I am so excited that you are in the role you are in for your community and for Douglas County.  Your team of paid staff and volunteers took care of a very large area that received a lot of impact from the storm.  And you did it in a way that made sure everyone was safe.

 

Again, if you are interested in watching the presentation of the eighteen-day progress report for the Douglas County March 2025 Flood Event, click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zai120rcv-E.

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

On a side note, from the author of this release, one statistic that was modestly left out of this presentation was the time, support and leadership provided by our County Commissioners.  It is important to note that in response to the severe winter storm that struck Douglas County on Sunday, March 16 all three County Commissioners—Tim Freeman, Tom Kress, and Chris Boice— promptly responded to the emergency event in the early morning hours on March 16, and have continued to actively participate in the emergency response and recovery. Their collective commitment resulted in over 375 logged hours within the first two weeks following the initial reports of severe flooding.  In addition to leading the response efforts at the command center the Commissioners worked and guided Cities; communicated directly and responded to calls for additional resources from communities and fire/responder agencies; monitored Galesville Dam; attended all eight pop up resource events; wrote an emergency declaration; spent numerous hours working with state officials; worked directly with PIO, Public Works and EM teams; collaborated with local partners; assigned county employees to help with response; assisted several homeowners and businesses; helped in the clean up efforts; directed resources to where they were needed the most; helped record, catalog and assess damage; and not only that but found time to honor Vietnam Veterans of America at a special Welcome Home Luncheon; conduct regular county business and meetings; and attend and participate in several FFA Auctions around the county.  Yes, being a commissioner is definitely not a 9 to 5 - Monday through Friday job.  Our commissioners truly care about our communities, and they are not afraid to jump into their rigs and lend a helping hand 24/7.   The Commissioners will continue to be actively engaged in leading the response and recovery efforts for the March 2025 Flood in Douglas County for as long as the community needs them.  Thank you for your support.

 

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Media Contact: Tamara Howell, Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist, Lead County Public Information Officer - (541) 670-2804 cell - (541) 957-4896 office – tamara.howell@douglascountyor.gov  

04-03-25 Meeting Notice - Douglas County Veterans Advisory Committee -04/03/25

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 3, 2025

 

** Meeting Notice **

Douglas County Veterans Advisory Committee

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

 

(Douglas County, Ore.) Douglas County Commissioners Tim Freeman, Tom Kress, and Chris Boice are pleased to inform the public that the next Douglas County Veterans Advisory Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 3:00 pm in Room 216 of the Douglas County Courthouse located at 1036 SE Douglas Avenue in Roseburg, Oregon. 

 

In compliance with ORS 192.610 to 192.690, we will accommodate any member of the public who wishes to view the meeting.  To view the live stream or post meeting recording, please visit: Douglas County Oregon - YouTube.   

 

For additional information please contact the Douglas County Veterans Service Office by calling (541) 440-4219 or email at veterans@douglascountyor.gov.   The meeting agenda is attached and can be found on the Douglas County government website at https://douglascountyor.gov/.

 

 

*Douglas County attempts to provide public accessibility to its services, programs and activities. 

If accommodation is needed to participate in this meeting, please contact (541) 440-4219

prior to the scheduled meeting time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Media Contact: Tamara Howell | Douglas County Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist | Public Information Officer | Phone: (541) 957-4896 | Cell: (541) 670-2804 | Email: tamara.howell@douglascountyor.gov

 

____________________________________________

AGENDA

DOUGLAS COUNTY VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

MEETING AGENDA

Date:  04/08/25  3 PM

 

The next Douglas County Veterans Advisory Committee will take place

 

Tuesday 04/08/25, 3:00 pm

Douglas County Courthouse

1036 SE Douglas Avenue, Room 216

 

Agenda Items:

 

DC Veterans Forum Report

VetNet Report

Roseburg VAMC Update

Veterans Service Office Report

Call  541 440 4219 for information.

 

Douglas County Veterans Service Office

Rm 7/8, Douglas County Courthouse

1036 SE Douglas Avenue

Roseburg, OR  97470

 

03-30-28 Douglas County Flooding Event Response & Recovery Friday, March 28, 2025 (Photo) -03/28/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Douglas County Flooding Event Response & Recovery

Friday, March 28, 2025 

(Douglas County, Ore.) – In the last ten years, Douglas County has been impacted by more than our fair share of once-in-a-lifetime unprecedented and unpredicted emergency events.  Each of these events have caused significant disruption to our communities.  Each has left an indelible mark on our people and our lands.  Each has left tremendous emotional, physical and environmental damage in their wakes.  All of them required different responses, resources and recovery tactics.  But we are thankful that we live in Douglas County…Where our residents are resilient, resourceful and proud.  Where we live in communities that come together in crisis and take care of each other.  Where we have leaders and officials that step up and are actively involved in leading and facilitating response and recovery.   Where we have taken the time to build strong community partnerships.  Where we choose to learn from each emergency.  Where we continue to build capacity for improved emergency response.  Where we have leaders that listen and care.  Where we do not hesitate to help…and where we thrive in the face of adversity. 

 

As our local team of leaders continue to navigate our response and recovery efforts, we encourage our residents to think about how they can help their neighbors, local businesses, and communities in the days, weeks and months to come.  During the last thirteen days, Douglas County Commissioners and Douglas County Emergency Management have recruited numerous County Department staff, community partners, and local agencies to help clean up debris, repair our roads, house displaced families, and provide resources directly to those in need.  As we look forward, we know that we cannot rely on assistance from other sources, so we need to look to each other to find local resources and assistance.  The Commissioners and Emergency Management staff are excited to share that we have partnered with Glide Revitalization (also known as Glide Rev) as our Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG).  Glide Rev’s experience and knowledge in developing and managing the long-term recovery efforts for the disastrous 2020 Archie Creek Fires near Glide laid the groundwork for the incredible non-profit agency that exists today.   Glide Rev is our official LTRG for Douglas County, and they work to support  communities impacted by disasters.  We are lucky and grateful to have this group as a valuable local resource to help us navigate the road to recovery together. 

 


DOUGLAS COUNTY MARCH 2025 FLOOD POP-UP RESOURCE EVENTS

Our Pop-Up Resource Teams continue to provide outreach services to the communities hit the hardest by the March 2025 Floods.  Douglas County Commissioners Tim Freeman, Tom Kress, and Chris Boice, along with Douglas County Emergency Management, Glide Revitalization, Douglas Public Health Network, local food pantries, recovery agencies and volunteers were on location in Green at Green Elementary and in Roseburg at AVIVA Health today offering support, information, and resources to residents.  Two More Pop-Up Events ARE Headed Your Way!  Tomorrow we will be in Sutherlin at The Father’ House at 378 East Second Avenue from 10 am-12 pm and in Glide at Glide Rural Fire Protection District at 18910 North Umpqua Hwy from 3:30 pm–6 pm for our last two of our series of eight Pop-Up Resource events.  The Pop-Up Resource Events are part of Douglas County Government’s grassroots local response and recovery effort helping those impacted by the March 2025 Floods. 

 

Got questions, need help? Our Pop-Up Resource event teams are bringing flood recovery resources directly to impacted communities.  All resource events are open to Douglas County residents regardless of where they are happening.  If you, or your business or your church or non-profit was impacted by the recent flood event, stop by to connect with resources and get support. Our team will be on-site to assist with housing, cleanup efforts, insurance guidance, and other recovery needs.

Emergency Aid – Shelter, food, water, and essential supplies.

Housing Assistance – Rental support, and rebuilding resources.

Cleanup & Repairs – Debris removal, Repairs, and mold remediation.

Insurance Guidance – Claim filing, and legal support.

Health & Well-Being – Mental health services, employment support, and transportation assistance.

Food, water, and essential supplies will also be available.

 

Whether you need immediate help or long-term recovery assistance, we are here to support you.  If you are unable to attend a popup event or have questions, please contact Glide Revitalization at (541) 671-0189 or admin@gliderev.com

 

DOUGLAS COUNTY MARCH 2025 FLOOD RECOVERY SURVEY

We strongly urge all residents to take part in our damage assessment survey. If your home, business, church, or non-profit organization was affected by the flooding on March 16, 2025, we want to hear from you!

 

Right now, we are at mission critical!  To even begin the process of trying to apply for possible state and federal support or funding, Douglas County as a whole (residents, businesses, cities and the county) have to meet a damage assessment value threshold (must exceed a certain total dollar amount of damage).  So, what that means for our homeowners, businesses, churches and non-profits is that we need your assessments reported to our survey.  The sooner we collect this data and reach the threshold value, the sooner we can begin to apply for additional support and possible funding.  But we can’t get there without your help.  If you have not already scanned the QR code or clicked the link and completed the survey, please do so as soon as you can.  If your neighbor or local business or church or non-profit have not completed the survey, please encourage or help them to complete it. 

 

This report is critical in our mission to try to get money and additional resources headed to Douglas County to help our county, communities, and residents recover.  If your home, business, church, or non-profit organization were impacted in any way by the March 2025 Storm Event, please take the time to log onto our reporting portals and share your damage assessment. 

 

If your Douglas County home or property was impacted by flooding from the March 2025 Storm, please scan the QR code on the flyer or visit this link to report your damage: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/ed438c451ca641ff8c6063a401b52d4d

 

If your Douglas County business, church or nonprofit organization was impacted by flooding from the March 2025 Storm, please scan the QR code on the flyer or visit this link to report your damage: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/dbfa37426a0e46cb9f312823b85f90f2

 

MARCH 2025 FLOOD – RESOURCES & INFORMATION

Douglas County Public Works & GIS Division

Our Public Works - GIS Division continues to track and map the landslides on Douglas County operated roads. Visit this link for the most-to-date information on road clean up and repairs: www.dcor.maps.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=d87f0b16e9da40a791467d9ab7ddcf32  

 

Douglas County Public Works and our private contractors continue to clean up debris flows and repair county-operated roads.  There could be additional lane or road closures in the future as we continue to address issues.  We understand that there are some roads that continue to be impacted by the weather and debris with some experiencing obstructions to lines, lanes and shoulders.  Please proceed with caution if you are traveling on or near these roads and if you enter a work zone, be courteous, slow down, and follow all signage and flagger instructions. Public Works crews and private contractors will be out working on the roads for a few more weeks.  If you need to report road hazards or debris flows, please call the Douglas County dispatch non-emergency line at (541) 440-4471.

 

2-1-1 Information Line

If you need flood related resources or have flood related questions, please call Oregon’s 2-1-1 information line.  Callers can get help with questions about insurance, flood damage, resources, debris removal and shelters.  For non-flood related questions, please email your questions to douglasalerts@douglascountyor.gov, to report a slide or road damage call (541) 440-4471 or for life-safety emergencies call 9-1-1.  Douglas County has partnered with Glide Revitalization as our LTRG for the March 2025 Flood event.  We will be transitioning to their resource center for our local response and recovery efforts.   

 

American Red Cross in Douglas County

The American Red Cross (ARC), in cooperation with Douglas County Emergency Management. has been supporting Douglas County communities after the flood.  Residents needing to register with the Red Cross for services, resources or support are asked to call 1-800-Red-Cross (1-800-733-2767).

 

Weather and Travel Watch

The weather continues to predict a mix of warm temperatures, rain and wind.  We encourage our residents to monitor and utilize the following resources for weather updates and travel. National Weather Service – Medford Station @ https://www.weather.gov/mfr/ AND Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) https://tripcheck.com/

 

Commissioners continue to be actively engaged in leading the response and recovery efforts for the March 2025 Flood in Douglas County.  They are working in conjunction with Douglas County Departments including Emergency Management, Public Works, Solid Waste, GIS, and Sheriff’s Office, as well as local partners like Douglas Public Health Network, Glide Revitalization, COAD, Local Cities, Cow Creek Tribal Government, private contractors and local volunteers.  Thank you for your support and patience.  Please stay safe!

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Media Contact: Tamara Howell, Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist, Lead County Public Information Officer - (541) 670-2804 cell - (541) 957-4896 office – tamara.howell@douglascountyor.gov  

 

Photos: Commissioners Freeman, Kress and Boice help answer questions and offer resources to residents during our Pop-Up Flood Resource events.  Photo credit: K.Trenkle/Douglas County

03-26-25 Douglas County Flooding Event Response & Recovery Wednesday, March 26, 2025 (Photo) -03/26/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Wednesday, March 26, 2025 
 

Douglas County Flooding Event Response & Recovery

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

 
(Douglas County, Ore.) – Today, the Douglas County Commissioners joined our Emergency Management Team, Glide Revitalization, local food pantries, and other recovery agencies at our March 2025 Pop-up Resource Events in Yoncalla and Drain to help provide support, information, and resources to local residents impacted by the March 2025 Storm.  These are the first two of eight total Pop-Up Resource Events happening over the next four days hosted by Douglas County for communities hit the hardest by the March 2025 Storm. See below for additional locations, days, and times for our March 2025 Flood Pop-Up Resource Events.
 
MISSION CRITICAL: WE NEED YOU TO REPORT YOUR FLOOD DAMAGE FROM THE MARCH 2025 STORM – FLOOD EVENT!
We cannot stress this enough; we need you to report your damage assessment from the March 16, 2025 Storm Event!  In order to even be eligible to apply for possible state and federal funding, Douglas County has to meet certain damage assessment value thresholds, which means we need to collect as many damage reports as possible from county departments, cities, residents and businesses.  This means your report is critical in our quest to try to get money coming to help our county, communities, and residents recover.  If your home, business, church, or non-profit organization were impacted in any way by the March 16, 2025, Storm Event, please take the time to log onto our reporting portals and share your damage assessment.  
 
If your Douglas County home or property was impacted by flooding from the March 2025 Storm, please scan the QR code on the flyer or visit this link to report your damage: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/ed438c451ca641ff8c6063a401b52d4d 
 
If your Douglas County business, church or nonprofit organization was impacted by flooding from the March 2025 Storm, please scan the QR code on the flyer or visit this link to report your damage: 
https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/dbfa37426a0e46cb9f312823b85f90f2
 
DOUGLAS COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER ON INSIDE DOUGLAS COUNTY WITH KYLE BAILEY
If you missed the interview today, between Douglas County’s Emergency Manager Emily Ring and KQEN News Talk Radio Host, Kyle Bailey on Inside Douglas County discussing Douglas County’s Response efforts since the March 2025 Storm, click here to listen: https://kqennewsradio.com/2025/03/26/inside-douglas-county-3-26-25/   
 
 
DOUGLAS COUNTY MARCH 2025 FLOOD POP-UP RESOURCE EVENTS: MARCH 27-29 
 
We’re headed to YOU! The Douglas County Commissioners, Douglas County Emergency Management, in partnership with Glide Revitalization (our Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG)), local food pantries, and other recovery agencies, are bringing flood recovery resources directly to impacted communities this week.  Join us at a location in your neighborhood in Yoncalla, Drain, Riddle, Glendale, Green, Roseburg, Sutherlin and Glide! See times and locations on the attached graphics or visit our Facebook EVENTS section by visiting: https://www.facebook.com/DouglasCountyeGovernment/events
 
If you were impacted by recent flooding, stop by to connect with resources and get support. Representatives will be on-site to assist with housing, cleanup efforts, insurance guidance, and other recovery needs. 
Emergency Aid – Shelter, food, water, and essential supplies.
Housing Assistance – Rental support, and rebuilding resources.
Cleanup & Repairs – Debris removal, Repairs, and mold remediation.
Insurance Guidance – Claim filing, and legal support.
Health & Well-Being – Mental health services, employment support, and transportation assistance.
 
Food, water, and essential supplies will also be available. Whether you need immediate help or long-term recovery assistance, we are here to support you.  If you are unable to attend a popup event or have questions, please contact Glide Rev at (541) 671-0189 or admin@gliderev.com.
 
MARCH 2025 FLOOD – RESOURCES & INFORMATION
Douglas County Public Works & GIS Division
Our Public Works - GIS Division is tracking and mapping the landslides on Douglas County operated roads. Visit this link for the most-to-date information on road clean up and repairs: www.dcor.maps.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=d87f0b16e9da40a791467d9ab7ddcf32  
 
Douglas County Public Works and our private contractors continue to work on cleaning up mudslides, repairing roads, and assessing damage.  There could be lane or road closures in the future as we address additional issues with some county-operated roads.  We understand that there are some roads that continue to be impacted with layers of mud or debris possibly obstructing the lines, lanes and shoulders.  Please proceed with caution if you travel these roads.  We ask that motorists entering work zones be courteous, slow down, and follow all signs and flagging instructions. Public Works crews and private contractors will be out working on the roads performing clean up and repairs for at least a few more weeks.  If you need to report road hazards or landslides, please call Douglas County dispatch non-emergency line at (541) 440-4471.
 
2-1-1 Information Line
If you need flood related resources or have flood related questions, please call Oregon’s 2-1-1 information line.  The 2-1-1 information line is a part of the support services we requested from the state.  This 24-hour resource center can help identify, navigate, and connect you with local resources.  Callers can get help with questions about insurance, flood damage, resources, debris removal and shelters.  For non-flood related questions that can wait, please email your questions and concerns to douglasalerts@douglascountyor.gov, to report a slide or road damage or issue call (541) 440-4471 or for life-safety emergencies always call 9-1-1.
 
American Red Cross in Douglas County
The American Red Cross (ARC) has been supporting Douglas County communities by opening temporary shelters in Drain and Roseburg in cooperation with Douglas County Emergency Management. Red Cross continues to operate a temporary emergency shelter at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Roseburg for residents who were displaced by the March 2025 Flood. It is located in the Community Building at 2110 SW Frear Street in Roseburg, just off I-5, Exit 123.  Shelter staff can help with meals, basic supplies, and connect you with additional recovery resources.
 
• As of yesterday, ARC still had 2 clients in the Roseburg shelter, and they are working with local agencies to help develop a long-term recovery plan. 
• Today, they are moving forward to provide support for the 8 Douglas County Pop-Up Resources Centers throughout the county. 
• They have completed their disaster assessment and are preparing to connect with homeowners that experienced major damage caused by the flooding event last week. 
• They have distributed 109 clean up kits to impacted communities and are prepared to distribute kits at the 8 Douglas County Pop-Up Resources Centers starting today.
 
Douglas County Solid Waste Department March 2025 Emergency Program
Douglas County Solid Waste Department is still offering a special program for March 16 Flood related wood waste debris and flood related refuse along with extended transfer site hours for our residents in heavily impacted areas.  The special programs are available to Douglas County residents only.   Visit their webpage to learn more about the emergency action adjustment https://douglascountyor.gov/396/Solid-Waste.   
 
Weather and Travel Watch
Mother Nature continues to be unpredictable; so, we encourage our residents to monitor and utilize the following resources for weather updates and travel. National Weather Service – Medford Station @ https://www.weather.gov/mfr/
Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) https://tripcheck.com/
 
Commissioners continue to be actively engaged in leading the response and recovery efforts for the March 2025 Flood in Douglas County.  They are working in conjunction with Douglas County Departments including Emergency Management, Public Works, Solid Waste, GIS, and Sheriff’s Office, as well as local partners like Douglas Public Health Network, Glide Revitalization, COAD, Local Cities, Cow Creek Tribal Government, private contractors and local volunteers.  Thank you for your support and patience.  Please stay safe!
###
 
Media Contact: Tamara Howell, Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist, Lead County Public Information Officer - (541) 670-2804 cell - (541) 957-4896 office – tamara.howell@douglascountyor.gov  

Attached Media Files: Emily.jpg, Update.jpg, 002.png, 1.png,

Douglas County Museum Exhibit - Historic Firearms And Antique Quilts (Photo) -03/26/25

Douglas County Commissioners Tim Freeman, Tom Kress, and Chris Boice along with staff at the Douglas County Museum of History and Natural History are delighted to announce the opening of its newest limited-time exhibit in the Museum’s auditorium - Historic Firearms & Antique Quilts. 

 

The Historic Firearms Exhibit features an impressive array of weapons from the museum’s extensive collection, offering a unique perspective on the cultural, technological, and historical significance of firearms throughout history.  Historic firearms are known for their incredible craftsmanship, often considered works of art, with intricate designs, engravings, or materials that highlight the skill of their makers. Additionally, historic firearms can be connected to pivotal events, such as revolutions or significant military campaigns, offering insight into the tactics and technologies that shaped these moments in time. Firearms are not just tools of conflict but also symbols of innovation, authority, and the changing nature of societies throughout history. Some of the more notable pieces in this display include:

 

  • .75 Caliber Brown Bess British Muzzle Loader, circa 1797 a firearm widely used by British troops during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
  • Military Flintlock .69 Caliber Pistol, circa 1820s representing an era when flintlock technology was the standard for military sidearms.
  • Springfield Sporter 1903 .30-06 caliber rifle, featuring a hand-carved walnut stock crafted in Hong Kong. This rifle is particularly unique as it bears the Applegate name and the Applegate Coat of Arms, a tribute to one of Douglas County’s most well-known pioneer families.

 

Many of the firearms on display were generously donated to the museum by Edna Rauch, wife of Ray Rauch, a lifelong firearms enthusiast and collector.  Another highlight of the exhibit is a collection of Pocket Rifles and original patents designed by Edward Redfield. The Redfield family, one of Douglas County’s most prominent pioneer families, settled in the Glendale area and left a lasting legacy in the firearms industry. The exhibit also explores the innovation of John Redfield, who developed a revolutionary rifle scope in a small workshop behind his home in Denver, Colorado. His invention led to the formation of the Redfield Scope Company, a brand still producing scopes today. Visitors can view two original types of Redfield scopes, highlighting the company’s role in advancing firearm optics.

 

In addition to the Historic Firearms Exhibit, visitors can also enjoy the Museum’s celebrated Antique Quilt Exhibit.  Quilting has long been an essential part of American history, serving both as a practical necessity and creative expression. This exhibit beautifully illustrates how quilts have evolved over time while preserving the stories and traditions of generations past.  This collection celebrates the artistry and heritage of quilting, featuring:

 

  • Hand-stitched family quilts dating back to the mid-1800s, some of which made the journey along the Oregon Trail.
  • Four stunning Crazy Quilts from the 1890s to early 1900s, showcasing intricate patterns and embroidery.
  • Unique sewing machine from the 1850s, manufactured by the Wheeler & Wilson Manufacturing Company, one of the earliest pioneers in sewing machine production.

 

For more than 50 years, the Douglas County Museum has been dedicated to preserving and showcasing the region’s rich cultural and natural history. Through engaging exhibits, the museum connects visitors with the industries and communities that helped shape Douglas County, from timber harvesting and farming to transportation and mining.

Located at 123 Museum Drive, Roseburg, Oregon (conveniently off I-5 Exit 123, adjacent to the Douglas County Fairgrounds), the museum is open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Lavola Bakken Research Library is open Tuesday through Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Admission Prices: Free for members and children ages 0-4, $2.00 for students (ages 5-17), $8.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors and veterans. Visitors can also explore the Museum Mercantile, the museum’s gift shop, offering a fantastic selection of books on Douglas County’s history, Oregon-themed gifts, educational toys, and unique souvenirs.

 

For more information, to plan your visit, or to learn about volunteer opportunities, click here or please call the Douglas County Museum of History & Natural History at (541) 957-7007. Come discover the stories, explore the legacy, and experience the history!

             

Attached Media Files: 2.png,

03-24-25 Douglas County Flooding Event Response/Recovery Monday, March 24, 2025 (Photo) -03/26/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, March 25, 2025

 

Douglas County Flooding Event Response/Recovery

Monday, March 24, 2025

           

(Douglas County, Ore.) – The Douglas County Commissioners continue to guide the response effort and road to recovery for the 2025 March Winter Storm event.  They are working in coordination with Douglas County Departments including Emergency Management, Public Works, Solid Waste, GIS, and Sheriff’s Office and our local partners like Douglas Public Health Network, our local cities (Canyonville, Drain, Elkton, Glendale, Myrtle Creek, Oakland, Reedsport, Riddle, Roseburg, Sutherlin, Winston and Yoncalla), Cow Creek Tribal Government, and local private contractors. 

 

DOUGLAS COUNTY FLOOD EVENT - LETTER TO HOMEOWNERS TO REPORT FLOOD DAMAGE

Dear Douglas County Residents,

 

We need your help to accurately tell our story of the impact of the March 2025 Winter Storm.  Please share this information far and wide with your community, friends, neighbors, employees, and social media pages! 

 

Homeowners can Report their March 2025 Flood Damage by scanning the QR code or visiting this link:

  

https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/ed438c451ca641ff8c6063a401b52d4d?fbclid=IwY2xjawJOdvNleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHYxoIaAyqVoslvSFYZS7sicWI6T-avg03jdfjYLOBrozRLB8hI-3NW1TLQ_aem_ZVpKew4BxSdNjdb4N2dImg

 

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners and our Douglas County Emergency Management have been working together with the Oregon Department of Emergency Management actively focused on damage assessment and helping property owners and businesses accurately assess ALL damage to help open potential assistance pathways for our residents and businesses.  We hope to have the survey available for businesses very soon.  It is especially important for homeowners to report if their homes or properties experienced extensive damage like:

• Completely flooded basements

• Water above 18 inches

• Water above electrical outlets

• Electrical damage – water-soaked wiring or broken or frayed electrical wires

• Structural damage – loose or buckling floors, carpet, drywall, insulation, or roof 

• Damage of any kind to foundations

• Damaged appliances, including heating, air conditioning, water heaters or refrigerators

• Damaged furniture, clothing or bedding

• Growth of mold and mildew

• Damage to septic and well water systems

• Loss of buildings or structures

• Livestock, pet or crop loss

 

This survey is specifically for homeowners.  We do not want you to miss the opportunity to tell us your damage story.  The more information and reporting we have, the better our chances are in applying for additional support, funding and resources.  We need all types of damage reported so we can tell the whole story of the impact on Douglas County and our communities!  If you have any questions or need additional resources, please call 2-1-1. 

 

Sincerely,

Douglas County Commissioners                                                            Douglas County Emergency Manager

Tim Freeman, Tom Kress and Chris Boice                                             Emily Ring

 

March 2025 Flood Event - Pop Up Resource Centers

The Douglas County Commissioners, Douglas County Emergency Management, in partnership with Glide Revitalization, the Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG), local food pantries, and other recovery agencies, are bringing flood recovery resources directly to impacted communities this week.  We’re coming to YOU! Join us at a location in your neighborhood! See times and locations on the attached graphics or visit our EVENTS section by clicking https://www.facebook.com/DouglasCountyeGovernment/events

 

?Wednesday, March 26 – Yoncalla & Drain

?Thursday, March 27 – Riddle & Glendale

?Friday, March 28 – Green & Roseburg

?Saturday, March 29 – Glide

 

If you were impacted by recent flooding, stop by to connect with resources and get support. Representatives will be on-site to assist with housing, cleanup efforts, insurance guidance, and other recovery needs.

 

Emergency Aid – Shelter, food, water, and essential supplies.

Housing Assistance – Rental support, and rebuilding resources.

Cleanup & Repairs – Debris removal, Repairs, and mold remediation.

Insurance Guidance – Claim filing, and legal support.

Health & Well-Being – Mental health services, employment support, and transportation assistance.

Food, water, and essential supplies will also be available. Whether you need immediate help or long-term recovery assistance, we are here to support you.   

 

Questions? Contact Glide Rev: 541-671-0189 or admin@gliderev.com.

 

PUBLIC WORKS UPDATE

Douglas County Public Works and our private contractors continue to work on shoring up mudslides, repairing and cleaning up roads, and assessing/estimating damage.  As of last Friday, all county-operated roads are open for travel.  We had nearly every road in Douglas County impacted in some way by the March 2025 storm with over 100 slides reported.  Over half of the mudslides, landslides and hill slides have been cleaned up and roads have been repaired.  Which means we are still actively working on roads.  We are concentrating on cleaning up debris and working on the finer details of flushing and repairing culverts on county-operated right-of-way.  There could be lane or road closures in the future as we address additional issues with some county-operated roads.  We understand that there are some roads that continue to be impacted with layers of mud or debris obstructing the lines, lanes and shoulders.   Please proceed with caution if you travel these roads.  We are doing the best we can to get to all county-operated roads as soon as possible.   We have Public Works crews and private contractors out doing work, but our crews are spread thin trying to get a lot done.  We ask that motorists entering work zones be courteous, slow down, and follow all signs and flagging instructions. A few areas will require some additional geo technical assistance, and we are working closely with partners to get those surveys completed.  Public Works crews and private contractors will be out working on the roads performing clean up and repairs for at least a few more weeks.    

 

MARCH 16, 2025, STORM RESOURCES

Douglas County Public Works – GIS Division

Among the many talented and dedicated departments at Douglas County Government is our Geographic Information System Division (GIS).  GIS is a technology that is used to create, manage, analyze, and map all types of data. Check out the interactive map they created for real time mapping the mud and landslides on Douglas County operated roads. Check it out at this link: www.dcor.maps.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=d87f0b16e9da40a791467d9ab7ddcf32  

 

2-1-1 Information Line

Do you need flood related resources?  Do you have flood related questions?  Please call 2-1-1.  The 2-1-1 info line is a part of the services we requested from Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM).  OEM staff are also assisting with our damage assessment surveys.  This 24-hour resource center can help identify, navigate, and connect you with local resources.  Get help with questions about insurance, flood damage, resources, debris removal and shelters.  For non-flood related questions that can wait, please email your questions and concerns to douglasalerts@douglascountyor.gov, to report a slide or road damage or issue call (541) 440-4471 or for life-safety emergencies always call 9-1-1.

 

Red Cross Shelter Open in Roseburg

Red Cross has opened a temporary emergency shelter at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Roseburg for residents who have been displaced by the March 16, 2025, storm. It is located at 2110 SW Frear Street in Roseburg, just off I-5, Exit 123.  Shelter staff can help with meals, basic supplies, and connect you with additional recovery resources. If residents need assistance with relocating animals – pets or livestock they need to reach out the Douglas County Animal Control Division of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.  The DCSO Dog Control Deputy can be reached at (541) 440-4471.

The Salvation Army Roseburg Corps

The Salvation Army Roseburg Corps is offering Douglas County March 2025 flood victims.

•           Vouchers to the Thrift Store for clothing and/or household goods.

•           Food boxes

•           Clean Up Kits – Bucket with a scrub brush, sponges, trash bags, and masks. (limited supply)

•           Push brooms & dust pans

 

We are making these items available as requested through the Family Services office.  They are open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 am-12:00 pm and 1:00 pm-4:00 pm.  They are waiving the need for appointments or restricted hours for flood victims.  If you have any additional needs, please don’t hesitate to contact them.    

 

Edith Dye-Mabie, Captain & Corps Officer

The Salvation Army Roseburg Corps

3130 NE Stephens Street, Roseburg, OR 97470

Office Phone: 541.248.2585

Thrift Store Phone: 541.672.6679

Social Services Phone: 541.672.6581

 

Douglas County Solid Waste Department March 2025 Emergency Action Adjustment

Douglas County Commissioners worked with the Douglas County Solid Waste Department to create and implement an emergency action adjustment for March 16 Storm-related wood waste debris and flood related refuse.   Increased transfer site availability for our residents in heavily impacted areas.  The special programs are available to Douglas County residents only.   Visit their webpage to learn more about the emergency action adjustment https://douglascountyor.gov/396/Solid-Waste.   The declaration process also allows the County to upscale our county road repair program and domestic cleanup process with access to regional consulting firms that specialize in disaster recovery.

 

Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon Farm Service Agency and OSU Extension Service 

Aids farmers, farms, wineries, private forest landowners, and ranches impacted by floods.  Offering support programs for crop loss, damaged fencing, livestock needs, determining potential for Federal assistance and offering emergency assistance.  Contact ODA at (503) 986-4550 or visit www.oregon.gov/oda/.  Contact the Douglas County FSA Office at (541) 673-6071 or visit https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app. Contact the OSU Extension Service in Roseburg at (541) 672-4461 or visit https://extension.oregonstate.edu/douglas.

 

Resources for Businesses Impacted by Flooding 

Businesses affected by flooding should document all losses and damage.  Recovery resources may be available through the Small Business Administration (SBA) or local economic development agencies.  Businesses are encouraged to report damages to the local Chamber of Commerce or Economic Development office to help with resource needs.  Stay tuned for updates from the Oregon Business Recovery Center or contact Business Oregon at https://www.oregon.gov/biz.  Reach out to Sonya McCormick, Public Private Partnership Manager at sonya.mccormick@oem.oregon.gov 

 

Thank you for your patience and stay safe!

 

###

 

Media Contact: Tamara Howell, Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist, Lead County Public Information Officer - (541) 670-2804 cell - (541) 957-4896 office – tamara.howell@douglascountyor.gov

03-25-25 Douglas County Flooding Event Response/Recovery - Tuesday, March 25, 2025 (Photo) -03/25/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Tuesday, March 25, 2025

 

Douglas County Flooding Event Response/Recovery

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

           

(Douglas County, Ore.) – The Douglas County Commissioners remain actively involved in leading the response and recovery efforts from the March 2025 Flood.  They are working in conjunction with Douglas County Departments including Emergency Management, Public Works, Solid Waste, GIS, and Sheriff’s Office, as well as local partners like Douglas Public Health Network, Glide Revitalization, Local Cities, Cow Creek Tribal Government, and local private contractors.  We would also like to thank the many local volunteers that have stepped up to support our response and recovery initiatives.   

 

DOUGLAS COUNTY BUSINESS OWNERS, CHURCHES AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS  – HELP US TELL OUR STORY FROM THE MARCH 2025 FLOOD

Was your business, church or nonprofit organization impacted by the March 2025 Flood?  If so, then Douglas County needs to hear from you.  The Douglas County Board of Commissioners and our Douglas County Emergency Management Department are actively focused on damage assessment and helping property owners, businesses and others accurately record and quantify ALL damage that occurred due to the recent flooding event.  This data will be used to hopefully open potential assistance pathways for our residents and businesses in the future.  No damage is too minor to report, we need to hear from you.  This work is being done with the assistance of the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM).  Please share this information far and wide in your business, church, and non-profit community. 

 

If your Douglas County business, church or nonprofit organization was impacted by flooding from the March 2025 Storm, please scan the QR code on the flyer or visit this link to report your damage:

https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/dbfa37426a0e46cb9f312823b85f90f2

 

It is especially important for business owners to report if their business or business property experienced damage, such as:

• Flooded buildings and basements

• Water above 18 inches or above electrical outlets

• Electrical damage – water-soaked wiring or broken or frayed electrical wires

• Structural damage –buckling floors, carpet, drywall, insulation, or roof

• Damage of any kind to foundations

• Damaged manufacturing equipment or appliances or heating/cooling systems

• Damaged furniture or office equipment

• Growth of mold and mildew

• Damage to septic tanks, well or water systems

 

Don’t miss the opportunity to tell us your story. The more information and reporting we collect, the better our odds are for gaining access to possible funding resources from the state and federal government. Please note these resources are not yet available. 

 

Please note that this survey is separate from the homeowner/personal property survey sent out on Monday, March 24, 2025.  If you need to complete the homeowner/personal property survey, click on this link https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/ed438c451ca641ff8c6063a401b52d4d  

 

DOUGLAS COUNTY HOMEOWNERS – REPORT YOUR DAMAGE FROM THE MARCH 2025 FLOOD

Was your home or property damaged or impacted by the recent storm and flooding event?  If so, we need your help to accurately tell your story by having you complete our damage survey.  The Douglas County Board of Commissioners and our Douglas County Emergency Management Department are actively focused on damage assessment and helping property owners and businesses accurately record and quantify ALL damage that occurred due to the recent flooding event.  This data will be used to hopefully open potential assistance pathways for our residents and businesses in the future.  No damage is too minor to report, we need to hear from you.  This work is being done with the assistance of the OEM.  Please share this information far and wide in your community, friends, neighbors, and on your social media pages! 

 

If your Douglas County home or property was impacted by flooding from the March 2025 Storm, please scan the QR code on the flyer or visit this link to report your damage: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/ed438c451ca641ff8c6063a401b52d4d

 

It is especially important for homeowners to report if their homes or properties experienced extensive damage like:

• Completely flooded basements or dwellings

• Water above 18 inches and/or water above electrical outlets

• Electrical damage – water-soaked wiring or broken or frayed electrical wires

• Structural damage – loose or buckling floors, carpet, drywall, insulation, or roof 

• Damage of any kind to foundations

• Damaged appliances, including heating, air conditioning, water heaters or refrigerators

• Damaged furniture, clothing or bedding

• Growth of mold and mildew

• Damage to septic tanks, well or water systems

• Loss of buildings or structures

• Livestock, pet or crop loss

 

Don’t miss the opportunity to tell us your story. The more information and reporting we collect, the better our odds are for gaining access to possible funding resources from the state and federal government.  Please note these resources are not yet available. 

 

Please note that this survey is separate from the business owners survey presented above.  If you need to complete the business owners survey, click on this link https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/dbfa37426a0e46cb9f312823b85f90f2

 


DOUGLAS COUNTY MARCH 2025 FLOOD POP-UP RESOURCE EVENTS: MARCH 26-29

 

We’re coming to YOU! The Douglas County Commissioners, Douglas County Emergency Management, in partnership with Glide Revitalization, the Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG), local food pantries, and other recovery agencies, are bringing flood recovery resources directly to impacted communities this week.  Join us in a location in your neighborhood in Yoncalla, Drain, Riddle, Glendale, Green, Roseburg, Sutherlin and Glide! See times and locations on the attached graphics or visit our Facebook EVENTS section by visiting: https://www.facebook.com/DouglasCountyeGovernment/events

 

?Wednesday, March 26 – Yoncalla & Drain             ?Thursday, March 27 – Riddle & Glendale

?Friday, March 28 – Green & Roseburg                  ?Saturday, March 29 – Sutherlin & Glide

 

If you were impacted by recent flooding, stop by to connect with resources and get support. Representatives will be on-site to assist with housing, cleanup efforts, insurance guidance, and other recovery needs.

Emergency Aid – Shelter, food, water, and essential supplies.

Housing Assistance – Rental support, and rebuilding resources.

Cleanup & Repairs – Debris removal, Repairs, and mold remediation.

Insurance Guidance – Claim filing, and legal support.

Health & Well-Being – Mental health services, employment support, and transportation assistance.

 

Food, water, and essential supplies will also be available. Whether you need immediate help or long-term recovery assistance, we are here to support you.   Questions? Contact Glide Rev: 541-671-0189 or admin@gliderev.com.

 

MARCH 2025 FLOOD – RESOURCES & INFORMATION

Douglas County Public Works & GIS Division

Among the many talented and dedicated departments at Douglas County Government is our Geographic Information System Division (GIS).  GIS is a technology that is used to create, manage, analyze, and map all types of data. Check out the interactive map they created for real time mapping the mud and landslides on Douglas County operated roads. Check it out at this link for the most-to-date information on road clean up and repairs: www.dcor.maps.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=d87f0b16e9da40a791467d9ab7ddcf32  

 

Douglas County Public Works and our private contractors continue to work on shoring up mudslides, repairing and cleaning up roads, and assessing/estimating damage.  As of last week, county-operated roads are open for travel.  We had nearly every road in Douglas County impacted in some way by the March 2025 Flood with over 100 slides reported.  Over half of the mudslides, landslides and hill slides have been cleaned up and roads have been repaired.  Which means we are still actively working on roads.  Crews are concentrating on cleaning up debris and working on the finer details of flushing and repairing culverts on county-operated right-of-way.  There could be lane or road closures in the future as we address additional issues with some county-operated roads.  We understand that there are some roads that continue to be impacted with layers of mud or debris possibly obstructing the lines, lanes and shoulders.   Please proceed with caution if you travel these roads.  We are doing the best we can to get to all county-operated roads as soon as possible.   We ask that motorists entering work zones be courteous, slow down, and follow all signs and flagging instructions. Public Works crews and private contractors will be out working on the roads performing clean up and repairs for at least a few more weeks.   

 

2-1-1 Information Line

Douglas County Commissioners and our Douglas County Emergency Management staff are still working with Oregon’s 2-1-1 call line. 

 

Do you need flood related resources?  Do you have flood related questions?  Please call Oregon’s 2-1-1 information line.  The 2-1-1 information line is a part of the support services we requested from the state.  This 24-hour resource center can help identify, navigate, and connect you with local resources.  Callers can get help with questions about insurance, flood damage, resources, debris removal and shelters.  For non-flood related questions that can wait, please email your questions and concerns to douglasalerts@douglascountyor.gov, to report a slide or road damage or issue call (541) 440-4471 or for life-safety emergencies always call 9-1-1.

 

Red Cross Shelter Still Open in Roseburg

 

Red Cross opened a temporary emergency shelter at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Roseburg for residents who have been displaced by the March 2025 Flood. It is located int eh Community Building at 2110 SW Frear Street in Roseburg, just off I-5, Exit 123.  Shelter staff can help with meals, basic supplies, and connect you with additional recovery resources. If residents need assistance with relocating animals – pets or livestock they need to reach out the Douglas County Animal Control Division of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.  The DCSO Dog Control Deputy can be reached at (541) 440-4471.

 

The Salvation Army Roseburg Corps

The Salvation Army Roseburg Corps is offering some assistance to Douglas County March 2025 Flood victims.

•           Vouchers to the Thrift Store for clothing and/or household goods.

•           Food boxes

•           Clean Up Kits – Bucket with a scrub brush, sponges, trash bags, and masks. (limited supply)

•           Push brooms & dust pans

 

They are making these items available upon request through their Family Services Office.  They are open Tuesday-Friday from 9:00 am-12:00 pm and 1:00 pm-4:00 pm.  They are waiving the need for appointments or restricted hours for flood victims.  If you have any additional needs, please don’t hesitate to contact them.  They are located at 3130 NE Stephens Street in Roseburg. Office Phone (541) 248.2585 - Thrift Store Phone (541)672.6679 - Social Services Phone (541) 672.6581

Edith Dye-Mabie, Captain & Corps Officer

 

Douglas County Solid Waste Department March 2025 Emergency Action Adjustment

Douglas County Commissioners worked with the Douglas County Solid Waste Department to create and implement an emergency action adjustment for March 16 Flood related wood waste debris and flood related refuse.   Increased transfer site availability for our residents in heavily impacted areas.  The special programs are available to Douglas County residents only.   Visit their webpage to learn more about the emergency action adjustment https://douglascountyor.gov/396/Solid-Waste.   

 

Protect Your Property: How to File a Flood Insurance Claim and What You Need to Know

(Shared from OEM) As spring rains and seasonal flooding continue to increase the risk of water damage across Oregon, it’s critical for homeowners and renters to understand the process of filing a flood insurance claim and how to protect their financial future.  If you are a flood insurance policyholder, follow these important steps to begin filing your flood claim:

 

Steps to File Your Flood Claim:

  1. Start a claim: Contact your flood insurance company or agent as soon as possible to start your claim. Have your policy number ready and report the damage.
  2. Prepare for your inspection: Take photos and videos of all damaged property before removing or repairing anything. This documentation will help support your claim.
  3. Work with your adjuster: A flood insurance adjuster will be assigned to inspect your property. Be sure to ask questions and provide any additional documentation requested.
  4. Document your loss and receive payment: Keep a detailed list of damaged items including descriptions, replacement costs, and receipts if available. Once the adjuster finalizes your claim, you will receive your payment based on the terms of your policy.
  5. Make repairs: Use your claim payment to make necessary repairs and keep all receipts for future reference. Be cautious of contractors offering fast fixes and always verify credentials.
  6. Understand your claim payments: Learn more about how your claim payments are determined and what’s covered under your flood insurance policy. Visit: https://www.fema.gov/blog/facts-and-myths-about-flood-insurance  

 

Don’t Have Flood Insurance? Now’s the Time to Consider It

Flooding can happen anywhere, not just in high-risk areas—and just one inch of water can cause thousands of dollars in damage. Flood insurance is a smart way to protect your home and belongings from the financial impact of flooding.

 

Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon Farm Service Agency and OSU Extension Service 

These organizations provide aid to farmers, farms, wineries, private forest landowners, and ranches impacted by floods.  Offering support programs for crop loss, damaged fencing, livestock needs, determining potential for Federal assistance and offering emergency assistance.  Contact ODA at (503) 986-4550 or visit www.oregon.gov/oda/.  Contact the Douglas County FSA Office at (541) 673-6071 or visit https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app. Contact the OSU Extension Service in Roseburg at (541) 672-4461 or visit https://extension.oregonstate.edu/douglas.

 

Resources for Businesses Impacted by Flooding 

Businesses affected by flooding should document all losses and damage.  Recovery resources may be available through the Small Business Administration (SBA) or local economic development agencies.  Businesses are encouraged to report damages to the local Chamber of Commerce or Economic Development office to help with resource needs.  Stay tuned for updates from the Oregon Business Recovery Center or contact Business Oregon at https://www.oregon.gov/biz.  Reach out to Sonya McCormick, Public Private Partnership Manager at sonya.mccormick@oem.oregon.gov 

 

Weather and Travel Watch

Mother Nature is unpredictable; so, we continue to encourage our residents to monitor and utilize the following resources for weather updates and travel.

National Weather Service – Medford Station @ https://www.weather.gov/mfr/

Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) https://tripcheck.com/

 

Thank you for your support and patience.  Please stay safe!

 

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Media Contact: Tamara Howell, Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist, Lead County Public Information Officer - (541) 670-2804 cell - (541) 957-4896 office – tamara.howell@douglascountyor.gov  

Meeting Notice - Douglas County Traffic Safety Commission (Photo) -03/24/25

(Douglas County, OR) The next meeting of the Douglas County Traffic Safety Commission will be held on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at 6:30 pm in Room 216 of the Douglas County Courthouse located at 1036 SE Douglas Avenue in Roseburg, Oregon.  In lieu of the regular business meeting, commission members will be judging the Traffic Safety Poster Contest. 

 

In compliance with ORS 192.610 to 192.690, we will accommodate any member of the public who wishes to watch the meeting. To view the live stream or post meeting recording, please visit: https://video.ibm.com/channel/douglascountyoregon.

 

For additional information about this meeting, please contact the Douglas County Public Works – Engineering Division by calling (541) 440-4481 or by email at paula.belloir@douglascountyor.gov. The meeting agenda can be found at https://douglascountyor.gov/.

 

 

*Douglas County attempts to provide public accessibility to its services, programs and activities.

If accommodation is needed to participate in this meeting, please contact (541) 440-4481

at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting time.

 

 

 

Attached Media Files: logo.jpg,

03-24-25 LPSCC) Behavioral Health And Housing Subcommittee (Photo) -03/24/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 24, 2025

 

** Notice of Virtual Meeting **

Douglas County Local Public Safety Coordinating Council (LPSCC)

Behavioral Health and Housing Subcommittee

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

 

(Douglas County, OR) The next meeting for the Douglas County Local Public Safety Coordinating Council’s (LPSCC) – Behavioral Health and Housing Subcommittee will take place on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at 11:30 am via a virtual conference format.

 

In compliance with ORS 192.610 to 192.690, we will accommodate any member of the public who wishes to watch or listen to the meeting via video or by phone. For information on how you can watch or listen to this meeting, please see the agenda, or contact Koree Tate at koree.tate@douglascountyor.gov or call (541) 957-7790.

 

The meeting agenda is attached and can also be found at www.douglascountyor.gov.

 

 
 

*Douglas County attempts to provide public accessibility to its services, programs, and activities.

If accommodation is needed to participate in this meeting, please contact (541) 957-7790 prior

to the scheduled meeting time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Media Contact: Tamara Howell, Douglas County Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist | Douglas County Public Affairs Office | Office: (541) 957-4896 | Cell: (541) 670-2804 | Email: tamara.howell@douglascountyor.gov

 

Program Contact: Koree Tate, Programs and Partnership Coordinator | Douglas County Juvenile Department | Phone: (541) 957-7790 | Email: koree.tate@douglascountyor.gov

 

 

 

 

Attached Media Files: (002).png,

03-21-25 Douglas County Flooding Event - Day Six Response/Recovery (Photo) -03/21/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, March 21, 2025 – 5:00 pm

 

Douglas County Flooding Event - Day Six Response/Recovery

           

(Douglas County, Ore.) – The Douglas County Commissioners understand there is a tremendous need for resources right now, and they continue to request additional resources for residents impacted by the March 16 Storm. The hopeful influence of the Douglas County Commissioner’s Emergency Declaration combined with the State of Oregon’s Emergency Declaration provided access for Douglas County’s Emergency Manager to continue asking for and building capacity in areas where we do not have local resources or the manpower to help.  This will help us to respond more effectively to the challenges that lay ahead in the aftermath of the storm.  

 

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners along with several Douglas County Departments including Emergency Management, Public Works, Solid Waste, Parks, GIS, and Sheriff’s Office and our partners like Douglas Public Health Network and our local cities (Canyonville, Drain, Elkton, Glendale, Myrtle Creek, Oakland, Reedsport, Riddle, Roseburg, Sutherlin, Winston and Yoncalla), Cow Creek Tribal Government, regional agencies, and local private contractors continue to work on shoring up mudslides; repairing and cleaning up roads; repairing utilities; preparing contractors and equipment in preparation for upcoming weather; assessing and estimating damage; providing access to more resources as they become available and doing our best to communicate with our residents.  This storm affected all levels of government from cities to counties to tribal lands to state lands to federal lands and all have been a part of the response that has impacted over 10 counties in Oregon.  We ask that you please have patience with staff at our local agencies, especially at the city and county level, as most have limited staff that have been working non-stop since Sunday.  We are all doing our best to manage this event and working hard to mitigate the response as we ramp up capacity for state and possible federal assistance.

 

Douglas County Parks – Flood Update & Boat Ramp Closures

Several of our Douglas County Parks were impacted by the March 16 Winter Storm.  Park staff have been working diligently to access the storm impact, clean up debris, and repair damage.  With spring salmon season nearly upon us, the Parks Department wanted to let residents know that a few key boat ramp locations on the Umpqua River System are closed due to flood damage.  The good news is that the following boat ramps are open: John P. Amacher County Park; Whistler’s Bend County Park, Cleveland Rapids County Park, Umpqua Landing County Park, James Wood County Park, and Colliding Rivers County Park.  However, the following boat ramps are temporarily closed for flood repair Yellow Creek Recreation Area County Park, Scott Creek Count Park and Scottsburg County Park.  Thank you for your patience as Parks staff work as quickly as possible to get these boat ramps open again.   For more information about our Douglas County Parks visit https://www.douglascountyor.gov/802/Parks.

 

Today, Douglas County Emergency Management staff, alongside more than 40 volunteers from local agencies, participated in a training session and then headed out in teams to conduct a rapid street-level damage assessment survey all across Douglas County.  The survey is part of the ongoing assessment of the March 16 Winter Storm that will be used to apply for State and possibly Federal assistance.  A "flood survey assessment team" is a group of trained individuals who conduct field investigations and analyses to assess flood damage after a major disaster.  These teams are assessing county-operated right-of-way only and will not be entering or asking for permission to access private property.  If you experienced private property damage from the recent storm, please contact your insurance agent for an assessment. 

 

 

MARCH 16, 2025, STORM RESOURCES

Douglas County Public Works – GIS Division

Among the many talented and dedicated departments at Douglas County Government is our Geographic Information System Division (GIS).  GIS is a technology that is used to create, manage, analyze, and map all types of data. Check out the interactive map they created for real time mapping the mud and landslides on Douglas County operated roads. Check it out at this link: www.dcor.maps.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=d87f0b16e9da40a791467d9ab7ddcf32  

 

2-1-1 Information Line

Do you need flood related resources?  Do you have flood related questions?  Please call 2-1-1.  The 2-1-1 info line is a part of the services we requested from Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM).  OEM staff are also assisting with our damage assessment surveys.  This 24-hour resource center can help identify, navigate, and connect you with local resources.  Get help with questions about insurance, flood damage, resources, debris removal and shelters.  For non-flood related questions that can wait, please email your questions and concerns to douglasalerts@douglascountyor.gov, to report a slide or road damage or issue call (541) 440-4471 or for life-safety emergencies always call 9-1-1.

 

Red Cross Shelter Open Through Monday in Roseburg

Red Cross has opened a temporary emergency shelter at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Roseburg for residents who have been displaced by the March 16, 2025, storm. It is located at 2110 SW Frear Street in Roseburg, just off I-5, Exit 123.  The shelter will be open until Monday, March 24, 2025.  Shelter status will be envaulted on Monday for need.  Shelter staff can help with meals, basic supplies, and connect you with additional recovery resources. If residents need assistance with relocating animals – pets or livestock they need to reach out the Douglas County Animal Control Division of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.  The DCSO Dog Control Deputy can be reached at (541) 440-4471.

 

American Red Cross Cleanup Kits Available 

The American Red Cross is distributing free cleanup kits for affected households. These kits include items like gloves, masks, mops, buckets, and cleaning supplies. For availability and pickup locations, contact American Red Cross – SW Oregon Chapter at (541) 344-5244 or visit: https://www.redcross.org/local/oregon/about-us/locations/southwest-oregon-chapter.html 

 

Douglas County Solid Waste Department March 2025 Emergency Action Adjustment

Douglas County Commissioners worked with the Douglas County Solid Waste Department to create and implement an emergency action adjustment for March 16 Storm-related wood waste debris and flood related refuse.   Increased transfer site availability for our residents in heavily impacted areas.  The special programs are available to Douglas County residents only.   Visit their webpage to learn more about the emergency action adjustment https://douglascountyor.gov/396/Solid-Waste.   The declaration process also allows the County to upscale our county road repair program and domestic cleanup process with access to regional consulting firms that specialize in disaster recovery.

 

Oregon Department of Human Services and Douglas Public Health Network

ODHS is assisting with health and wellness checks.  DPHN can help connect you with local health services, preparedness information, and resources.

 

Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon Farm Service Agency and OSU Extension Service 

Aids farmers, farms, wineries, private forest landowners, and ranches impacted by floods.  Offering support programs for crop loss, damaged fencing, livestock needs, determining potential for Federal assistance and offering emergency assistance.  Contact ODA at (503) 986-4550 or visit www.oregon.gov/oda/.  Contact the Douglas County FSA Office at (541) 673-6071 or visit https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app. Contact the OSU Extension Service in Roseburg at (541) 672-4461 or visit https://extension.oregonstate.edu/douglas.

 

Team Rubicon – Community-Based Cleanup Support 

Team Rubicon is a volunteer-based organization that assists with cleanup after disasters. A minimum number of residents in the same area must request help before they can deploy resources. For more information visit: https://teamrubiconusa.org/

 

Resources for Businesses Impacted by Flooding 

Businesses affected by flooding should document all losses and damage.  Recovery resources may be available through the Small Business Administration (SBA) or local economic development agencies.  Businesses are encouraged to report damages to the local Chamber of Commerce or Economic Development office to help with resource needs.  Stay tuned for updates from the Oregon Business Recovery Center or contact Business Oregon at https://www.oregon.gov/biz.  Reach out to Sonya McCormick, Public Private Partnership Manager at sonya.mccormick@oem.oregon.gov 

 

Does DEQ Have Flood Recovery Resources? 

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) may offer guidance or support related to:  Household hazardous waste disposal; Septic system concerns; and Environmental cleanup regulations.  Residents should check with DEQ’s regional office or visit https://www.oregon.gov/deq for updates and guidance on specific to flood recovery. 

 

Oregon Housing and Community Services

OHCS will be helping to manage, access, and find housing resources for residents displaced by the storm.  Visit https://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/pages/index.aspx.

 

As we continue to migrate towards recovery mode, we will be calling in more resources from the State and possibly the Federal Government.  The State’s declaration is also the steppingstone for access to possible funding from the Federal Government in the future. 

 

MARCH 16, 2025, STORM TIPS

Be Aware of Scams During Disaster Recovery 

Unfortunately, scammers often target disaster survivors by posing as cleanup crews, insurance agents, or government officials.  Never give out personal information, Social Security numbers, or banking details to unknown individuals. Be cautious of anyone asking for upfront payment for repairs or services—legitimate assistance providers will not demand payment before services are rendered.  If you suspect fraudulent activity, report it to the Oregon Department of Justice Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-877-877-9392 or visit www.oregonconsumer.gov

 

Reentering & Cleaning up Your Home After a Flood 

Flooding of homes and other buildings frequently results in damage to clothing and other items. Depending on the items involved, some may be easily salvaged while others are probably not worth the work or expense to clean and disinfect them. The basic rule of thumb is if it absorbs water, throw it out. Also, do not turn the electricity back on if any power outlets are below the flood line. If outlets have been under water and you turn the power back on before disconnecting them, they can spark and set your house on fire. This is one of the leading causes of home loss after a flood. Have a licensed electrician inspect your electrical system before restoring power.  Read more about health risks to consider when reentering your flooded home - Oregon Health Authority www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Preparedness/CurrentHazards/Pages/HomeSafetyReentry.aspx

 

Weather and Travel Watch

We continue to encourage our residents to monitor and utilize the following resources for weather updates and travel.

National Weather Service – Medford Station @ https://www.weather.gov/mfr/

Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) https://tripcheck.com/

Oregon Department of Emergency Management’s Flood Dashboard at https://tinyurl.com/aa6z9rrt

 

 

Make Plan - Build a Kit - Be Informed

As Emily Ring alluded to in her interview with Kyle Bailey the other day on Inside Douglas County, the time to prepare is before an emergency hits.  However, with more winter weather headed our way this weekend, we wanted to briefly remind residents about a few quick things you can do to be better prepared should this weekend or anytime in the future turn into an emergency. 

Make a Plan

  1. Designate a family meeting should you be separated from your family.
  2. Create an evacuation plan or a plan to shelter in place. Designate a safe place to stay that is out of the area.
  3. Create a plan for pets and livestock during an emergency.
  4. Create a handwritten list of emergency contacts with phone numbers and addresses. 
  5. Locate the closest shelter and get paper map of your area.

Build a Kit

Here are some basics of what you need in a kit

  • Flashlight and extra batteries
  • 2–3-day supply of non-perishable food items 
  • Water - 1 gallon of water per person per day
  • Non-electric heat sources: wood, propane heaters
  • Medications and basic medical supplies
  • First aid kit
  • Sanitation items: toilet paper, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, napkins, paper towels and extra water for washing
  • Animal supplies like food and water
  • Blankets, jackets, rain ponchos, and change of clothes
  • Candles, lighter, and matches
  • Portable battery-operated lanterns and extra batteries
  • Cell phones, power banks, and chargers
  • List of emergency contacts
  • Paper map of the area
  • Multi-tool, knife and can opener
  • Reading Glasses
  • Notepad, pencils and pens
  • Cash, Car and hose keys & a whistle

Be Informed

  1. How will you receive emergency notifications?  Are you signed up for DOUGLAS ALERTS?  It is the tool used by our Douglas County Sheriff’s Office to notify the public about important information during an emergency. For more information call (541) 440-4471 email douglasalerts@douglascountyor.gov or visit www.dcso.com/alerts.
  2. Get a portable, non-electric radio you can use to check local radio stations for information and updates.
  3. Check the weather forecast and make sure you are aware of any storms headed your way.
  4. Write down the local non-emergency phone number. In Douglas County you can call the non-emergency dispatch number at (541) 440-4471.  If you have questions or need resources, you can always call 2-1-1.  If you have an emergency, please call 9-1-1. 

 

Please stay vigilant out there.  1) Monitor weather and road condition websites for the most up-to-date information and warnings before you travel.  2) Know that floodwaters are extremely dangerous. 2) Remember to turn around, don’t drown! 3)  Do not drive around barricades or through flooded roads. 4) Be extra careful at night when it’s harder to discern high water and mudslide dangers.  5) Proceed and exercise extreme caution when traveling through impacted areas.  6) Please be patient, slow down, expect delays or take alternative routes through areas with heavy equipment, work crews, flaggers and posted closure signs.

               

Douglas County Commissioners Tim Freeman, Tom Kress, and Chris Boice continue to provide leadership, monitor conditions, issue updates, coordinate resources, and work diligently with local and state partners on this emergency event.  Thank you for your patience and stay safe!

 

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Media Contact: Tamara Howell, Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist, Lead County Public Information Officer - (541) 670-2804 cell - (541) 957-4896 office – tamara.howell@douglascountyor.gov

03/20/3025 Douglas County Flooding Event - Day Five Response (Photo) -03/20/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, March 20, 2025 – 4:00 pm
 
Douglas County Flooding Event - Day Five Response

(Douglas County, Ore.) – We know many of our citizens are tired and ready for this crazy weather emergency to be done, however, Douglas County as well as many of our residents are still amid response and triage mode.  But the good news is that we are moving closer to recovery mode.  As you know the Douglas County Commissioners declared a State of Emergency on Sunday, March 16, 2025, at 10:15 am for the entire county.  This was followed on March 18, 2025, by a declaration of a State of Emergency by Oregon’s Governor.  
 
For Douglas County the progression of the Emergency Declaration process to the next level (State) for this incident opened the door to additional resources and assets for our county and our residents.  The State’s declaration will allow us to build capacity in areas where we do not have local resources so we can respond more efficiently to the challenges that lay ahead in the aftermath of the storm.  As many of you know we were able to coordinate with Oregon’s 2-1-1info - 24-hour call in line via the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) to provide flood-related resources and information directly to Douglas County residents.  Additionally, OEM staff are assisting with our damage assessment surveys.  The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) is assisting with health and wellness checks.  The declaration activated staff with the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), Oregon Farm Service Agency, and OSU Extension Service who are available to assist farmers, farms, wineries, private forest landowners, and ranches access damages, estimate losses, and determine potential for Federal assistance.  It also allows the County to upscale our county road repair program and domestic cleanup process with access to regional consulting firms that specialize in disaster recovery.  It provides access to state agencies like Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) to help manage and provide housing for residents displaced by the storm.  As we continue to migrate towards recovery mode, we will be calling in more resources from the State and possibly the Federal Government.  The State’s declaration is also the steppingstone for access to possible funding from the Federal Government in the future.  
 
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners along with several Douglas County Departments including Emergency Management, Public Works, Solid Waste, Parks, GIS, and Sheriff’s Office and our partners like Douglas Public Health Network and local cities, tribal government, regional agencies, and a few local private contractors continue to work on new mudslides; shoring up existing mudslides; repairing and cleaning up roads; repairing sewer and water systems; restoring access to power and internet; preparing assets, contractors and equipment in preparation for upcoming weather; assessing and estimating damage; providing access to more resources as they become available and doing our best to communicate that to our citizens.  This storm affected numerous agencies including cities, counties, tribal lands, state lands, and federal lands.  All levels of government were impacted and have been a part of this response.  We ask that you please have patience with staff at our local agencies, especially at the city and county level, as most have limited staff that have been working non-stop since Sunday.  We are all doing our best to manage this event and working hard to prepare as we ramp up capacity with state partners.  
 
2-1-1 Information Line
Douglas County residents, do you need flood related resources?  Do you have flood related questions?  If you do, we are asking our residents to direct all questions and requests to the Oregon 2-1-1 Info line.  Just dial 2-1-1 from any phone and you will be connected to a 24-hour resource center that can help people identify, navigate, and connect with the local resources they need.  If you have questions about insurance, flood damage, resources, debris removal or housing, please call 2-1-1.  For non-flood questions that can wait, please email your questions and concerns to douglasalerts@douglascountyor.gov and for life-safety emergencies always call 9-1-1.
 
Douglas County Solid Waste Department March 2025 Emergency Action Adjustment
Effective Immediately the Douglas County Commissioners worked with the Douglas County Solid Waste Department to create and immediately institute an emergency action plan for March 2025 flood related wood waste debris and March 2025 flood related refuse.  They have also increased transfer site availability for our residents in heavily impacted areas.  The special programs are available to Douglas County residents only.   Visit their webpage to learn more about the emergency action adjustment https://douglascountyor.gov/396/Solid-Waste.  
 
Red Cross - March 2025 Storm Shelter - Roseburg
Due to ongoing flooding, the American Red Cross, at the request of Douglas County has opened a temporary emergency shelter at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, located at 2110 SW Frear Street in Roseburg (I-5, Exit 123) for residents who have been displaced by the March 16, 2025 storm.  At this time the plan is for the Red Cross Shelter to be open through Sunday, March 23, 2025.  Red Cross will evaluate the situation on Monday, March 24, 2025, to see if shelter services are still needed.  They are also sending supplies and working with local partners to conduct outreach in the impacted communities.  If you have been affected by the floods or mudslides, call 1-800-RedCross.
 
If you haven’t had a chance to listen to the interview about Douglas County’s response to the March 16, 2025 Storm on KQEN News Talk Radio and Kyle Bailey with Douglas County Emergency Manager, Emily Ring and Douglas County Public Works Director, Scott Adams click this link to listen.  
 
Sandbags?
Looking for flood control?  Sandbags and Sand? For information about sandbag resources in Douglas County check out these local resources: Home Depot, Lowes, Umpqua Aggregate and Farmers DC COOP.  It is best to call before you go.  Our Douglas County Emergency Management webpage also has a few tips and tricks to mitigate flooding without sandbags. Visit: https://douglascountyor.gov/856/Emergency-Management.  You can also check out the following link for additional sandbag ideas https://bancorpinsurance.com/i-dont-have-any-sandbags-now-what/
 
We reiterate that this storm did not discriminate between human landscaped or modified areas, natural vegetation areas or private or public lands as we are experiencing mudslides and erosion in all areas, terrains and valleys across Douglas County.  Our Douglas County Public Works Department and our private local contractors continue to work diligently to get all county-maintained roads open free of mud and debris. Check out our interactive map of active mudslides: https://douglascountyor.gov/AlertCenter.aspx?AID=MARCH-2025-FLOOD-EVENT-INFORMATION-27.  
 
We continue to encourage our residents to monitor and utilize the following resources for weather updates and travel.
National Weather Service – Medford Station @ https://www.weather.gov/mfr/
Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) https://tripcheck.com/
Oregon Department of Emergency Management’s Flood Dashboard at https://tinyurl.com/aa6z9rrt.  
 
Please stay vigilant out there.  1) Monitor weather and road condition websites for the most up-to-date information and warnings before you travel.  2) Know that floodwaters are extremely dangerous. 2) Remember to turn around, don’t drown! 3) Do not drive around barricades or through flooded roads. 4) Be extra careful at night when it’s harder to discern high water and mudslide dangers.  5) Proceed and exercise extreme caution when traveling through impacted areas.  6) Please be patient, slow down, expect delays or take alternative routes through areas with heavy equipment, work crews, flaggers and posted closure signs.

Douglas County Commissioners Tim Freeman, Tom Kress, and Chris Boice will continue to provide leadership, monitor conditions, issue updates, coordinate access to resources, and work diligently with local and state partners on this emergency event.  Thank you for your patience and stay safe!
 
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Media Contact: Tamara Howell, Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist, Lead County Public Information Officer - (541) 670-2804 cell - (541) 957-4896 office – tamara.howell@douglascountyor.gov

Attached Media Files: 0134.jpeg, 0135.png,