Maryland Gov. Moore appeals White House's denial of disaster aid for May floods
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is appealing the White House's denial of funding assistance after severe flash flooding in May that damaged homes, infrastructure, and utilities across Western Maryland.
Moore requested the declaration in June, to aid the recovery effort after the Federal Emergency Management Agency validated $15.8 million in damages.
A Presidential Disaster Declaration would allow Maryland to receive help from FEMA.
Flash floods devastate Western Maryland
The flash flooding on May 13 struck Allegany and Garrett counties, damaging more than 200 homes and affecting roads, public buildings, and power systems.
Some residents had to be rescued from flooded schools, while others were trapped overnight during power outages.
At Westernport Elementary School, 150 students and 50 staff members were moved to the second floor of the building until they were evacuated by water rescue teams.
Critical infrastructure was also impacted. Due to the floods, Columbia Gas of Maryland made the decision to proactively shut down the entire natural gas system in Westernport as a safety measure, leaving 116 residences without gas service for more than 24 hours. Gas system repairs alone were estimated at over $3.5 million.
How much damage did the floods cause?
Initially, the state said there was $15.8 million in damage.
On Tuesday, the governor's office said an additional $17.9 million in losses had been confirmed, raising the total estimated damage to $33.7 million.
In the appeal, Moore said the cost of the flood damage is nearly triple Maryland's FEMA damage threshold of $11.7 million.
"Maryland has met longstanding criteria for FEMA support in the wake of historic floods across Mountain Maryland," Moore said. "This appeal isn't simply justified — it's necessary."
Moore added that he has stood "shoulder to shoulder with Marylanders in Allegany and Garrett counties, who are still recovering from an unthinkable catastrophe."
Trump hints at changes to FEMA
The appeal comes as President Trump signals plans to overhaul FEMA. Mr. Trump signed an executive order that he said would "begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA," though such changes would require congressional approval.
In June, the administration said it aimed to "wean" states off FEMA support after the 2025 hurricane season, with Mr. Trump saying states are better equipped to manage disasters: "We want to bring it down to the state level — a little bit like education."
Maryland leaders echo the need for support
Maryland's Congressional Delegation wrote to the Trump administration on Thursday, backing Governor Wes Moore's appeal, emphasizing the need for the funds.
"As the new school year begins and winter approaches, we echo the Governor's concerns that without the requested assistance, the most vulnerable in these communities will be directly impacted. These assessments support the need for the requested declaration and assistance which is necessary and warranted under the Stafford Act," the letter read.
According to the press release, public assistance funds from FEMA would reimburse the first responders who aided those in need during the floods and repair essential public infrastructure and facilities that were damaged.
Funds from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program would help to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from future flooding and other similar natural disasters.
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Representatives April McClain Delaney, Steny Hoyer, Andy Harris, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, Glenn Ivey, Sarah Elfreth, and Johnny Olszewski all signed the letter to President Trump, urging an expeditious review and approval.
