Trump Approves Disaster Declarations for Seven States

President Donald Trump approved major disaster declarations for Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Washington, granting these states access to federal funding for infrastructure repairs and survivor aid. He also amended existing declarations for Tennessee and Mississippi to expand individual assistance following a January winter storm. In Washington, the funding addresses record December flooding that caused one death, displaced 100,000 people, and resulted in the state's most significant public infrastructure damage in over 40 years. In Oregon, the declarations respond to December storms that caused over $15 million in losses and widespread power outages.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is attempting to accelerate the processing of pending requests before the Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1. However, recovery efforts face challenges, including an eight-week Department of Homeland Security shutdown that depleted the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund. Additionally, the administration has not approved hazard mitigation funding for over a year, emphasizing that states should assume more responsibility for resilience.

While some governors, such as Bob Ferguson of Washington and Greg Gianforte of Montana, praised the support, others criticized the administration's selectivity. Maryland Governor Wes Moore called the denial of support for May 2025 flooding "deeply frustrating," particularly after a FEMA assessment estimated over $33 million in damages. Approximately 15 other states and tribes remain awaiting decisions, with Arizona waiting nearly three months for an appeal regarding September 2025 storms.