Maryland Gov. Moore appeals White House's denial of disaster aid for May floods
Moore requested the declaration to aid the recovery effort in June after the Federal Emergency Management Agency validated $15.8 million in damages.
A Presidential Disaster Declaration would allow Maryland to receive help from FEMA.
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.
Initially, the state said there had been $15.8 million in damage.
But 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."
The appeal comes as President Donald 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."
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