President Donald Trump’s administration denied Maryland’s request for emergency funds to help Allegany and Garrett County communities still recovering from a historic flash flood in May.
Gov. Wes Moore said Wednesday the state will appeal Trump’s decision.
The Allegany and Garrett County communities had “demonstrated a clear need through FEMA’s own process,” the Democrat said in a statement, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FEMA sent a letter dated July 22 to Moore that said federal assistance “is not warranted.” The letter was sent by acting FEMA administrator David E. Richardson.
Moore, a Democrat, said he’s disappointed “that the White House is now saying we’re on our own,” on WTOP radio Wednesday afternoon. The state is doing everything it can to help the recovery, he said, but the federal government also holds some responsibility.
“I just deeply disagree with the decision that they made,” he said.
In a joint statement, Sens. Chris Van Hollen, Angela Alsobrooks and Western Maryland Rep. April McClain Delaney, all Democrats, blasted Trump, a Republican, for refusing to help the counties hit hard by the floods and urged him to reconsider his position.
“Even though the cost of the damage in these two rural Maryland counties exceeds the threshold for federal assistance, the Administration is refusing to come to their aid,” they said.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement that the president responds to each request for federal assistance “with great care and consideration, ensuring American tax dollars are used appropriately and efficiently by the states to supplement — not substitute, their obligation to respond to and recover from disasters.”
“The Trump administration remains committed to empowering and working with State and local governments to invest in their own resilience before disaster strikes, making response less urgent and recovery less prolonged,” Jackson said.
FEMA did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
The May downpour overwhelmed local tributaries and caused over $15.8 million in damage to homes, businesses, roads, bridges, sewer systems and public utilities, according to federal, state and local government assessments.
The Moore administration asked for federal help in June because full recovery from the damage exceeded the state and local governments’ ability to pay for it. Moore said the cost of damages meets the federal government’s threshold for making that request.
Meanwhile, Moore has designated $1.4 million from various state funds — $1 million for emergency furnace and water heater repairs in Allegany and Garrett counties and another $450,000 to Allegany County from the State Disaster Recovery Fund.
The Disaster Recovery Fund was created by the General Assembly in 2023 to help pay for natural disaster damages that fall short of FEMA thresholds. The state’s budget woes have reduced that fund by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Unlike the requested FEMA money, which would go toward government and infrastructure projects, the state funds provide direct assistance to individuals.
The severe weather event in May triggered the area’s worst flooding in 30 years. In the small town of Westernport, fast-rising waters tore through municipal buildings and forced 150 students to evacuate their elementary school by boat. Officials have said they expect the recovery to take years.
Maryland Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, a coalition of around 60 nonprofits, religious groups and nongovernmental organizations, has helped mobilize a large volunteer response in Western Maryland.
The group’s chairperson, Pastor Phillip Huber, said members have cleared debris, mud and mold from 124 homes and installed shower and laundry trailers for those displaced by the flooding. In the coming months, they will remain active in rebuilding and raising money.
Huber said religious and nonprofit groups have long played a leading role in the state’s long-term disaster responses, particularly in lower-income communities.
The pastor said the faith community’s mission is to help “those at the margins to make sure that those who are typically left out of the equation in daily life aren’t left out during a disaster.”
Baltimore Banner reporter Pamela Wood contributed to this article.