County, city seek federal money for December storm damage

Nicole Bales, The Daily Astorian, Ore.
Updated ·2 min read

Feb. 8—Clatsop County and Astoria are requesting $4.9 million in federal assistance to repair infrastructure damaged during December storms.

A windstorm and high tides at the end of the year destroyed a gangway that connects to floating docks at Youngs Bay. The gangway is critical to the county's fisheries program and local gillnet fishermen.

The county and city submitted a request for assistance to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for $2 million to rebuild the Youngs Bay dock and repair pier damage.

The request also includes $1.8 million to repair erosion along the Astoria Riverwalk from Bay Street to 52nd Street and $583,000 for Brownsmead and Lewis and Clark diking district repairs. Another $301,678 was requested for the Columbia River Maritime Museum for lost revenue during a three-day closure due to power loss, to repair riverbank damage and to repair the mooring system for the Lightship Columbia, the museum's largest exhibit.

Due to storm damage at the 17th Street Dock, the Lightship Columbia was temporarily moved to Tongue Point.

A Federal Emergency Management Agency damage assessment team is expected to be in the county next week to review the request.

"Clatsop County understands the importance of the Youngs Bay pier to Clatsop County residents and businesses," Patty Jo Angelini, a spokeswoman for the county, said in a statement. "Because of the storm damage, gillnetters do not have pier access to the yacht club parking lot."

The county and city met in late January to discuss the damage, Angelini said, and together are working toward a plan to rebuild the pier.

The county's Public Works Department conducted a site survey of the pier and is working with Topper Industries, an engineering firm based in Woodland, Washington, to construct a new one.

Angelini said there is no estimate as to when the Youngs Bay pier will be rebuilt and operational.

County fisheries is continuing to work on the removal and cleanup of the old pier.

Meanwhile, the county received a $5,000 emergency grant from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to purchase materials to construct a new pipeline to transfer incoming fish to the net pens.

"This action will ensure there are future fisheries in Youngs Bay and lower Columbia Basin," Angelini said.