Jackson County Community Long Term Recovery Group

Our Vision: A resilient, connected, and thriving community to call home.

Our Mission: Building on the lessons of recovery to weave an equitable, inclusive, and responsive disaster services network through collaboration, convening, and advocacy.

On September 8, 2020, six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the Almeda and South Obenchain Wildfires devastated Jackson County, Oregon, destroying over 2,600 homes and leaving thousands houseless. Phoenix and Talent were hit hardest, forcing residents to abandon homes and livelihoods. Parents at work were unsure of their children's safety, while others fled gridlocked roads, desperate to escape the flames.

Even before the fires were extinguished, the community responded. Evacuation centers were opened, and emergency services such as shelter, food, water, and spiritual care were provided by the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, local businesses, churches, and nonprofits. As the community faced this unprecedented disaster, new agencies formed to support existing efforts, address service gaps, and begin rebuilding homes and lives. One of these agencies was the Jackson County Community Long-Term Recovery Group. (JCC LTRG)

Disaster recovery begins and ends locally — when a federally declared disaster strikes, a Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG) brings together community-based organizations, government entities, faith-based groups, developers, business owners, and others to support coordinated recovery efforts. Long-term recovery, the process of rebuilding a community, can last 3 to 10 years depending on the disaster's scope.

The Jackson County Community Long-Term Recovery Group (JCC LTRG) is Jackson County’s LTRG and uses the Collective Impact Model to coordinate long-term recovery from the 2020 fires and convene partners in response efforts for future disasters.