Public Works Board awards $7.45 million for disaster recovery and emergency infrastructure repairs
Seven communities receive funding to restore essential services and strengthen resilience
OLYMPIA, Wash. – At its September 4 business meeting, the Washington State Public Works Board awarded $7.45 million for emergency repairs and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure. This includes $2 million for three emergency projects in eastern Washington communities and $5.45 million to support four western Washington communities in their recovery from the December 2025 atmospheric river events.
"Public works infrastructure is the backbone of every community across Washington state," said Vince McGowan, PE, PWB Chair. "With increasing threats from extreme rainfall like the December 2025 storms to drought and wildfires like those currently burning across our state, PWB is proud to be a small part of disaster recovery by getting recovery funds in the hands of the communities that need them as quickly and efficiently as possible."
"While the headlines may have moved on, the work to rebuild from December’s historic flooding continues," Governor Bob Ferguson said. "The Public Works Board’s funding will move important infrastructure repairs forward, including in four flood-damaged communities: Stehekin, Chehalis, Hoquiam and Kent. These projects will fix damage from the storms and help make these communities more resilient in the face of future flooding. When I hiked into Stehekin this summer, one of the only ways to access this beautiful, unique community, I sat with residents and listened to the challenges they still face as they work to recover. I saw the washout on Company Creek Road. Today’s grant to Chelan County will help restore full access to this remote community, with a modern, more resilient road. Our state will use every tool to support our communities."
PWB funding will help local governments in Chelan, Franklin, Grays Harbor, King, Lewis, Spokane and Walla Walla counties make necessary repairs to restore essential services and enhance safety for their communities.
Flood Resilience Grants: Communities rebuild after the floods
In December 2025, western Washington experienced a series of powerful atmospheric rivers events that caused significant flooding, landslides and infrastructure damage. Ferguson declared an emergency for 28 Washington counties experiencing severe impacts from these extreme weather events under Emergency Proclamation 25-07.2. In the 2026 legislative session, the Legislature appropriated $10 million for the PWB to make emergency grants to support local governments to rebuild damaged infrastructure. Four communities received $5.4 million to support recovery efforts.
Chelan County
The county was awarded $750,000 for the Company Creek Road Resilience Project. This project will reconstruct 400 feet of Company Creek Road, which was washed out by severe flooding of the Stehekin River during the December 2025 weather event. The flood waters were the highest since record keeping began more than 100 years ago and destroyed a levee that had protected downstream private and public facilities for many decades. The newly reconstructed road will include resilience improvements to provide more floodplain access for the Stehekin River and incorporate wood habitat features to restore natural stream processes and prevent erosion.
 Floodwaters in Chelan County during December 2025. Photo courtesy of Chelan County.
"Failure to complete the project will likely result in significant loss of property and life as well as loss of public access to the western end of the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area," Mike Kaputa, Chelan County Natural Resource Department Director wrote in the funding application. Without funding for the project, "essential community personnel who live on Company Creek Road would be significantly challenged by flooding to do their jobs. Schoolchildren would again miss school. Disabled and mobility-limited individuals will be at higher risk of injury and death, and emergency services will be limited in this area."
City of Chehalis
Chehalis was awarded $700,000 for the Exhibitor Road Bridge Improvement project and to restore safe vehicular access on Exhibitor Avenue, which suffered significant erosion and scour from high flows in Salzer Creek. Exhibitor Creek Bridge was closed to all traffic in June 2026 after structural and safety concerns were identified relating to the December flooding event. The project will repair the bridge and improve resilience to future high-flow events through scour protection and channel stabilization.
 Scour under Exhibitor Creek Bridge in Chehalis after Salzer Creek flooded. Photo courtesy of City of Chehalis.
City of Hoquiam
Hoquiam was awarded $2 million for the Broadway Road Project and to repair Broadway Avenue along the Hoquiam River. King tides and heavy runoff from the steep bluff between the roadway and the river have caused significant roadway settling putting the entire section of roadway on the verge of catastrophic failure. The December 2025 weather event caused additional settling of the roadway and hazardous driving conditions. Should the roadway collapse, residents, businesses and emergency responders would have a 30-mile detour to travel to and from east Hoquiam. The project includes installation of a new fish bearing culvert, roadway reconstruction, water and sewer utility replacement and construction of a deep retaining wall to prevent the roadway from falling into the Hoquiam River.
"Receiving this grant is critically important because it allows the city to move forward with repairs to a vital roadway that is at risk of catastrophic collapse into the river. This project is about protecting public safety, maintaining reliable access for residents and businesses, and ensuring emergency responders can reach people quickly when every minute counts," said Brian Shay, City of Hoquiam Administrator.
City of Kent
Kent was awarded $2 million for the South 259th Street Flood Resilience Improvements project and to make repairs to South 259th Street between the Union Pacific Railroad and 3rd Avenue South. During the December 2025 weather event, the city experienced a stage four flood with historic surface elevations along the Green River. The city installed temporary flood barriers along low-lying stretches of South 259th Street and the river overtopped the banks and reached the barriers less than 24 hours after installation.
Improvements from this project include raising South 259th Street through the low area and installing a flood levee south of the road as it passes under the Union Pacific Railroad bridge.
"We are pleased that the WA Dept of Commerce Public Works Board is supporting construction of flood resiliency projects across the region," said City of Kent’s Mayor, Dana Ralph. "Our partnership with the PWB will allow a more flood resilient project to be constructed to reduce the risk of impacts from future flooding and high-water events in this project area."
 Installed flood barriers along a rapidly rising Green River. Photo courtesy of City of Kent.
PWB applications for the flood resilience grant program are open continuously until funds are exhausted. The maximum award for the grant program is $1 million per project. Following the awards just made, the flood resilience grant program now has $4.3 million remaining.
PWB Emergency awards
The PWB also awarded emergency infrastructure funding to support three eastern Washington communities’ response to wastewater infrastructure failures and the recent fires in Spokane County.
City of Spokane
Spokane was awarded $1 million as loan for an emergency project to repair and restore infrastructure in the Northside Landfill damaged by the Old Trail Fire in August. Northside Landfill is part of Spokane's essential solid waste system serving approximately 68,000 accounts. The fire damaged an estimated 70-75% of the vegetated final cover and electrical service, leaving large areas vulnerable to erosion, runoff, infiltration, dust and invasive vegetation. Project deliverables include restoration of vegetation and electrical power serving landfill-gas systems, telemetry and communications as well as repair of structures and remediation systems.
"With insurance and federal reimbursement for these emergency costs still uncertain, PWB funding would allow the city to move forward with necessary repairs more quickly, protect public health and the environment, and reduce the financial burden these costs would otherwise place on our solid waste system and our ratepayers," said Trace Bradburn, City of Spokane Director of Solid Waste and Recycling. "We greatly appreciate the PWB’s consideration and its support of the Spokane community as we recover from this wildfire."
City of Connell
Connell was awarded $612,000 as a loan and $108,000 as a grant for an emergency project to repair the city’s damaged wastewater treatment lagoons. Significant erosion and deterioration of the lagoon system’s embankments, protective slopes and other wastewater treatment infrastructure pose a threat to public health and safety in the community. The project will help keep essential wastewater treatment services from being interrupted and will prevent untreated wastewater from possibly discharging and contaminating the environment.
City of Waitsburg
Waitsburg was awarded $255,000 as loan and $45,000 as grant for an emergency project to repair a leaking, failed sewer pipe. The section of piping that failed runs partially underneath a downtown building and State Route 124, making it difficult to repair on an ongoing basis. This sewer line is a major collector that conveys sewage from several areas of the city and distributes it to the wastewater treatment plant. Potential failure and collapse of the sewer mainline will lead to widespread sewer backups.
PWB applications for the emergency funding program are open continuously until funds are exhausted. The maximum award for emergency funding is $1 million per project. For the 2025-27 biennium, the board currently has $5.1 million remaining for the emergency program.
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