Pendleton receives additional FEMA funds for McKay Creek
Published 5:00 pm Thursday, September 3, 2026
PENDLETON — The city of Pendleton received grant funding of $292,141 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to finish the first phase of the McKay Creek Flood Prevention project.
City Manager Robb Corbett announced the additional funding at the city council meeting Tuesday, Sept. 1. Mayor McKennon McDonald expressed her excitement for the funding.
FEMA previously granted the city $3.8 million to address flood risk prevention at McKay Creek after a flood in 2019 damaged 63 residential homes and caused an estimated $8.75 million in damage. FEMA awarded the grant to create a two-phase multi-benefit planning and design project.
Finishing up phase one
The first phase is focused on creating a watershed action plan in collaboration with partners, as well as designing and permitting two projects dedicated to flood risk and habitat protection.
“The plan identifies projects, programs and policies that can improve flood risk reduction and natural floodplain functions,” said Luke Johnson, a consultant to the city from River Fluents LLC.
Johnson said the Watershed Resilience Action Plan is complete. The other two projects in phase one are looking to redesign Community Park to limit flood risk, replace the bridge on Southwest Kirk Avenue and install a new pedestrian bridge in the park. Phase one only required design plans for the projects to be 90% complete before moving forward with permitting, according to Corbett.
The original deadline for the projects was March, which Johnson said the city knew it wouldn’t be able to meet, so the city applied for grant extensions. When FEMA adjusted the project’s deadline to September 2028, the city requested the additional funds to get the projects to 100% completion to get permits and do a cost-benefit analysis for phase two.
Essentially, the city is doing some of the work of phase two during phase one, Johnson said.
“Then there will be very little administrative work to be done during phase two and they can get right to work in order to meet the September 2028 deadline,” he said.
The cost-benefit analysis will provide the actual dollar amount of construction cost for phase two. Johnson said it’s expected to be more than the original grant, but within FEMA’s ability to fund.
“The anticipation is once we submit 100% design documents and the necessary analysis, they will approve phase one and award phase two construction dollars for the entire construction budget,” he said.
Corbett said the city expects to break ground on the projects in 2027 and complete the work by the September 2028 deadline.
