Trump administration denies FEMA aid for Maryland counties hit hard by flooding
FEMA aid denied for western Maryland towns hit by floods
As western Maryland works to rebuild after the devastating flooding back in May, they're faced with yet another setback. The Trump administration has denied Gov. Wes Moore's request for FEMA aid.
MARYLAND - As western Maryland works to rebuild after the devastating flooding back in May, they're faced with yet another setback.
The Trump administration has denied Gov. Wes Moore's request for FEMA aid.
What we know:
Moore requested $15.8 million in disaster relief funds to help Allegany and Garrett counties rebuild after the historic flooding. They even met federal thresholds needed to get FEMA support and still they were denied.
FOX 5 spoke with Allegany County officials and one business owner desperate to get back on her feet.
Extreme rainfall triggered flash floods across western Maryland. Roads turned into rivers, an elementary school forced to evacuate with dozens of kids being rescued on boats and the town was left covered in mud.
"I was actually stuck in the building with my parents and one of my employees. One of my employees went home for lunch.and he couldn't make it back, because it happened that fast," Theresa Boal told FOX 5.
Boal's funeral home—a staple family business around for more than 120 years—was hit hard.
"I mean dealing with insurance and different companies, and trying to figure out how to rebuild and where you get finances from. It's just a lot, and it's heartbreaking because my parents, you know, built this place," Boal said.
Local perspective:
The question of "how" and "if" they can rebuild has been on the minds of many in western Maryland over the last couple months and the news of the Trump administration denying federal assistance has been a tough pill to swallow.
"Disappointment is really the word," County Administrator Jason Bennett said. "We were hopeful that we would get these funds. We desperately need these funds. We feel we met all the thresholds that were given to us."
Some worry that politics is at play here. Meantime, the state has allocated just under $1.5 million, mainly in grant assistance for the more than 200 homes damaged.
"Probably the most immediate need from accounting level would be our water and sewer infrastructure. We took extensive damage up there," Bennett said.
As business owners like Boal work to rebuild, the future remains uncertain.
"We're a small town. We need our little restaurants and we need our funeral home. And you know, where's this money going to come from?" Boal said. "I know all the businesses in town need support. They've lost revenue. You have employees who aren't being paid, you know. That's how they support their families."
She says she's grateful for the community's support, and she's hoping to reopen in the fall.
Meantime, Moore says he plans to appeal and in a joint statement with several U.S. senators urging the president to reconsider the decision.
What they're saying:
FOX reached out to the White House for comment. In a statement, spokesperson Abigail Jackson said:
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. While the President’s decisions are communicated directly to the Governor of an affected State, 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."