A vulnerable stretch of Southwest Beaverton Hillsdale Highway is getting federal dollars to shore it up against future storm damage.

FEMA announced on July 9 that it is awarding $238,077 to Oregon to address scour and erosion caused by Fanno Creek stormwaters along a section of the highway. The grant is a pre-disaster mitigation project, meaning the money is meant to fix the problem before it causes a failure, not after.

The funding comes through FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, known as BRIC, which pays for hazard mitigation work before disasters strike.

The Beaverton Hillsdale Highway project is one of two BRIC awards in the announcement. The other, $218,800, goes to the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe in Washington for seismic retrofitting assessments of government buildings and water mains.

Part of a $7 million Oregon-Washington package

The highway grant is a slice of more than $7 million FEMA approved for Oregon and Washington on July 9. The bulk of that money breaks down this way:

• $3.9 million to Oregon through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, reimbursing the state for costs on projects that prevent or reduce future disaster damage.
• $2.9 million under FEMA's Public Assistance program for infrastructure repairs across both states, including $1.4 million to Blachly-Lane County Cooperative Electrical Association for permanent repairs from January 2024 winter storms.
• $456,877 total in BRIC funding split between the Beaverton highway project and the Washington tribal project.

The Oregon and Washington package is itself part of $584 million FEMA approved nationwide on Wednesday, July 8, covering more than 30 states, territories and tribal nations.

Robert Fenton, FEMA's acting administrator, said the investments help communities prepare before disasters strike.

What we don't know

FEMA's announcement does not specify a construction start date, project timeline, or what agency will manage the work on the ground. No Beaverton city officials, Washington County representatives, or Oregon Department of Transportation spokespeople have commented publicly on the project.

The press release describes the highway section as "vulnerable" and "impacted by scour and erosion from Fanno Creek stormwaters," but does not detail the exact scope of physical work planned.

Scour is the wearing away of road foundation material by water. Left unaddressed, it can compromise a road's structural foundation. Fanno Creek, a tributary of the Tualatin River, runs through the Beaverton area and has a history of flooding during heavy rains.

Why it matters locally

Beaverton Hillsdale Highway is a major corridor connecting Beaverton neighborhoods to Portland's Hillsdale area. The BRIC program funds fixes to vulnerable infrastructure before damage becomes an emergency.

FEMA coordinates directly with the state on all hazard mitigation projects, according to the agency's release. Residents seeking more information about FEMA hazard mitigation programs can visit fema.gov.