PENDLETON — Oregon State Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced nearly $22 million in grant money would be dispersed to Northeastern Oregon.

The funds will be used to help reimburse the costs associated with the historic flooding that occurred in February 2020, when nearly 400 homes were destroyed or damaged by the torrential rain, mostly in Umatilla County.

The total cost of the damage was estimated to be more than $48 million, with well more than $26 million in removing debris removal, emergency protective measures and repairing roads, bridges and public buildings, according to the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.

“We’re prepared to take full advantage of the funding, and we’ve got projects in the works for development,” said Tom Strandberg, public information officer with the Oregon Department of Transportation for Eastern Oregon.

Exactly $11 million was earmarked for Northeastern Oregon specifically, citing the severe storms and increased snowmelt that caused flooding, landslides, sinks, downed trees and erosion that had resulted in damage to critical transportation infrastructure, according to the grants the Federal Highway Administration approved.

As well, $9 million was approved for projects repairing damage to major highways across Oregon that experienced similar damages in January 2021.

A final $1.7 million was appropriated for the Umatilla National Forest to repair roads and trails that were damaged by floods in the winter 2020.