White House Rejects Maryland Disaster Aid After Western Flooding

The White House has denied Maryland’s request for a federal disaster declaration following severe flooding in May that devastated communities in Allegany and Garrett counties, Governor Wes Moore announced Wednesday.

The governor submitted the request in June after assessments by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) estimated the recovery cost at nearly $15.8 million.

“These communities demonstrated a clear need through FEMA’s own process,” Gov. Moore said in a statement. “Maryland will appeal the decision to pursue every available resource to support recovery efforts.”

On May 13, intense rainfall led to catastrophic flash flooding in Western Maryland, affecting more than 200 homes and damaging businesses, public utilities, roads, and schools. In some areas, children had to be rescued from flooded school buildings, and several residents were stranded overnight during power outages.

The flooding overwhelmed Georges Creek, sending water rushing into nearby towns. A state of emergency was declared, prompting local, state, and federal agencies to mobilize for rescue and recovery operations.

“Two months after flash flooding tore through these communities, they are still in need of support to repair public schools and libraries that were inundated, roads and bridges that were washed out, and homes and businesses that were left severely damaged,” Maryland Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, along with Rep. April McClain Delaney, said in a joint statement.

Gov. Moore had requested a Presidential Disaster Declaration, which would have unlocked federal aid through FEMA to help fund infrastructure repairs and recovery of public facilities. According to MDEM, the $15.8 million in damages far exceeds FEMA’s thresholds for both Allegany County ($321,460) and the state ($11.6 million).

“After a thorough assessment of the damage, it’s clear that additional support is necessary,” Moore said at the time of the request.

MDEM Secretary Russ Strickland emphasized the urgency: “Federal assistance is necessary to help affected residents return to normalcy and to ensure these communities recover in months—not years.”

Despite past precedent where similar damage levels triggered federal support, FEMA denied Maryland’s request. The state now plans to appeal.

The decision comes amid broader shifts in federal disaster response policy. President Trump has repeatedly criticized FEMA, suggesting it is inefficient and should be restructured—or potentially eliminated. In a recent executive order, Trump called for an overhaul of the agency, although any major changes would require Congressional approval.

In June, the administration said it aims to “wean” states off FEMA support following the 2025 hurricane season. Trump has argued that disaster response should be handled more locally.

“We want to move it back to the state level, a little bit like education,” Trump said, drawing a comparison to efforts to decentralize federal control in other sectors.

As Maryland prepares to appeal the FEMA decision, the state’s leaders continue to call for federal support to help rebuild and protect vulnerable communities.