Oregon Gov. Kate Brown with Malheur County Sheriff Brian Wolfe on Friday, Feb. 10, 2017.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown's Office/Flickr
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown extended a statewide emergency declaration Friday. The declaration will now last another 30 days.
The extension comes after severe, record-breaking winter storms continually swept across eastern Oregon in January.
Brown visited Ontario on Friday to show support for recovery efforts.
“It's clear communities like Malheur County and businesses in Ontario face ongoing challenges," the governor said.
Heavy snowfall collapsed several roofs in the region, resulting in millions of dollars in lost inventory at onion storage facilities. One onion industry official estimated the loss as high as $100 million, according to the Associated Press.
Brown's order gives the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality discretion to temporarily suspend certain rules, so collapsed buildings can be quickly demolished and removed.
