ASTORIA, Ore. — A major funding breakthrough has cleared the way for the completion of a landmark project aimed at safeguarding the Oregon North Coast against natural disasters. On Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, a high-level coalition of Oregon lawmakers and state officials announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has finally released over $14.5 million to Columbia Memorial Hospital (CMH) for its long-awaited expansion project.
The $14,567,624 in federal funds is earmarked for a state-of-the-art, tsunami-resilient hospital expansion in Astoria. The design includes critical infrastructure such as deep-pile foundations and a vertical evacuation structure capable of holding up to 1,900 people. Additionally, the project ensures that essential operations, including power generators and the facility’s helipad, will be elevated above the tsunami inundation zone, providing a lifeline for the community in the event of a seismic catastrophe.
The disbursement of these funds follows a period of intense uncertainty. The project had originally been awarded under the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, but access to the capital was frozen in 2025 when the Trump Administration suspended the initiative. For the past 17 months, the funding remained in limbo, forcing CMH leadership to navigate a complex gauntlet of legal challenges and high-level advocacy to preserve the grant.
“Natural disasters don’t care if you’re in a red state or a blue state—FEMA shouldn’t either,” said Oregon State Representative Cyrus Javadi. “When the Trump Administration went back on its word, I promised we’d keep fighting until Columbia Memorial got what it was owed. Today that fight paid off.”
The success of the effort was attributed to a rare, multi-level coalition of local, state, and federal leaders. Clatsop County served as the primary governmental applicant for the grant, working in close coordination with hospital administration and emergency management experts. Mark Kujala, Chair of the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners, praised the persistence of the team, noting that despite the “dark” period of stalled funding, project partners remained compliant and ready to execute the build.
CMH CEO Erik Thorsen confirmed that the hospital had moved forward with construction on the resiliency features even while the funding remained blocked, betting on the strength of their political advocacy. With this $14.5 million infusion, the total budget for the BuildCMH Expansion Project is now fully secured.
“This grant completes the budget and ensures that our community will receive a fully resilient, modern health care facility,” said Thorsen.
As the project moves into its next phase, the facility stands as a testament to local determination in the face of federal gridlock. The hospital expansion is expected to provide not just medical services, but a critical sanctuary for patients, staff, and the surrounding public when the next major earthquake or tsunami threatens the coast.
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