Federal Disaster Declarations Approved for Pacific Northwest After 2025 Storms

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The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved disaster declarations for Idaho, Washington, and Oregon following a series of severe winter storms that caused widespread damage across the Pacific Northwest in December 2025. The declarations will provide federal assistance to state, tribal, and local governments for emergency response and infrastructure repairs.

Why it matters

The federal disaster declarations unlock critical funding and resources to help the affected states recover from the extensive damage caused by the 2025 winter storms, which included straight-line winds, flooding, landslides, and other extreme weather events. This assistance is vital for restoring essential public services and infrastructure in the impacted communities.

The details

In Idaho, the declaration covers damage from straight-line winds between December 16-18, 2025, with Public Assistance funding available for emergency work and repairs in multiple counties. Oregon's declaration spans a broader range of severe weather, including storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides from December 15-21, 2025, with federal support for recovery efforts in several counties. Washington's declaration includes both Public Assistance and Individual Assistance programs to help residents and local governments in counties affected by severe storms, flooding, and landslides from December 5-19, 2025.

• The winter storms occurred in December 2025.
• The federal disaster declarations were issued on April 11, 2026.

What’s next

Residents in the affected areas are encouraged to first file insurance claims and then apply for federal assistance through DisasterAssistance.gov, by phone, or through the FEMA mobile app. Additional counties or forms of assistance could be added as further damage assessments are completed.