Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said this week the Trump administration denied disaster assistance to his state after May flooding.
A statement issued by his office Wednesday said the administration did not approve assistance to the state for flooding that occurred in May, even though the state’s estimated damage put it above the threshold it would need to reach to get assistance.
“The devastating floods that hit Western Maryland in May clearly met disaster assistance criteria established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These communities demonstrated a clear need through FEMA’s own process, and Maryland will appeal the decision to seek all available resources to support the recovery efforts,” Moore said in the statement.
He noted that May rainfall caused Georges Creek in Western Maryland to overflow into several towns.
The denial is one of several requests that has been turned down by the administration in recent months as it seeks to overhaul FEMA.
“We’re going to give out less money,” Trump said of the disaster agency in June.
Asked why aid to Maryland was denied, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson on Friday did not give a specific reason.
“The President responds to each request for Federal assistance under the Stafford Act 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,” Jackson said in an email.
“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,” she added.
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