For the second time, President Donald Trump has rejected Washington state’s request for major disaster assistance after a bomb cyclone storm struck in November. The initial request was turned down in April by Trump, and an appeal made by Gov. Bob Ferguson in May also met with denial.
Neither of the denials provided any reasoning. Senator Patty Murray criticized the decision, labeling it a “betrayal” and warning of the “dangerous politicization of disaster assistance.” In a press release, she stated, “Storms and disasters don’t discriminate between red and blue communities, and neither should our President.”
Since February, Trump has denied six out of ten major disaster requests from Democratic governors, according to an analysis of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) records. In contrast, he has approved 14 of the 15 disaster requests submitted by Republican governors. The states affected by his denials include California, Hawaii, Kentucky, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington, and Wisconsin. Notably, Trump also turned down a request from Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, his former press secretary, after a series of tornadoes and hailstorms in March. However, after Sanders appealed the denial, Trump approved the request in May.
While FEMA makes recommendations regarding states’ disaster declarations and emergency aid requests, the ultimate decision lies with the president. Federal law stipulates that only experienced managers with a proven record in emergency management can serve as FEMA administrator.
Richardson’s predecessor, acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton, was dismissed in May after he testified that eliminating FEMA, a proposal supported by Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, was not in the best interest of the American public. An investigation by local media revealed that previous presidents have approved major disaster requests 85% of the time over the past 25 years.
According to assessments from Washington state and FEMA officials, the bomb cyclone in November caused approximately $34 million in damages, equating to roughly $4.42 for each resident in the state. This joint evaluation indicated that the costs exceeded the usual $1.89 per capita threshold that FEMA uses to determine whether a disaster warrants federal intervention.
Once a major disaster is declared, FEMA typically covers 75% of the costs associated with debris removal and the replacement of public infrastructure, such as roads and power lines, in addition to providing grants to individuals for repairs and rebuilding efforts.
