Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) denied his state’s appeal for federal disaster relief for flooding in May.
Moore, in a Thursday release, called the move “deeply frustrating” and said it “leaves Marylanders on their own.”
“FEMA has a responsibility to weigh the merits of each emergency request objectively,” Moore added. “Instead, President Trump and his Administration have politicized disaster relief, and our communities are the ones who will pay the price.”
The floods occurred over two days, impacting Garrett and Allegany counties in western Maryland. They resulted in $33.7 million in damages, with homes, schools, libraries and other community buildings impacted, according to a letter Moore sent to Trump in August.
The president did not issue a major disaster declaration, which would have made FEMA assistance available, following the floods. In July, the administration denied disaster assistance to Maryland.
Moore appealed the decision in August, noting that the damages were nearly triple Maryland’s federal threshold for assistance.
“Maryland has met long-standing criteria for FEMA support in the wake of historic floods across Mountain Maryland. And this appeal isn’t simply justified, it’s necessary,” Moore said at the time.
The Hill has reached out to FEMA and the White House for comment.
Maryland’s senators, Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, also criticized the denial in Thursday’s release. Van Hollen said the administration “has turned its back on these communities,” while Alsobrooks claimed Trump “cares more about supporting billionaires than supporting Americans facing disaster.”