Governor Moore Requests Presidential Disaster Declaration to Assist Communities Damaged by Flooding in Western Maryland

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today requested that the White House issue a Major Disaster Declaration to assist Allegany and Garrett county communities impacted by extensive flooding in mid-May. The declaration will make federal assistance programs available to restore critical public infrastructure to Maryland communities impacted by the storm.

“Our communities in Western Maryland have experienced significant impacts to their homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure,” said Gov. Moore. “After a thorough assessment of the damage, it’s clear that additional support is necessary. We must continue to deploy essential resources to ensure a full and robust recovery. This declaration marks an important continuation of that ongoing push.”

Joint damage assessments conducted by FEMA, the Maryland Department of Emergency Management and local officials estimated more than $15.8 million in emergency response costs and damage to infrastructure, including more than 200 homes, numerous businesses, roads and bridges, railroads, sewer systems, drinking water, and public utilities. While the State of Maryland continues to mobilize resources to support the region, the work required to fully recover from the damage will require capacity beyond that of state and local jurisdictions alone.

“With a natural disaster where residents, businesses, and public infrastructure are impacted on this scale, recovery is an all-hands-on-deck approach,” said Maryland Department of Emergency Management Secretary Russ Strickland. “We are already working tirelessly at the local and state level, but the flooding caused incredible destruction. The addition of much-needed federal assistance is necessary to get those affected back to their regular lives and to allow those communities to fully recover in months instead of years.”

Through the Presidential Disaster Declaration, the State of Maryland may request FEMA Public Assistance for Garrett and Allegany counties to provide additional assistance for recovery to the impacted areas. The state can also request access to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which can be made available under the federal Stafford Act. If approved, support from the programs would help repair crucial infrastructure and publicly-owned facilities in the impacted counties, as well as fund risk reduction projects to ensure that additional devastating impacts are minimized in the future.

To provide additional support, Governor Moore this week announced the approval of $459,375 from the first-ever State Disaster Recovery Fund to support Allegany County’s flood recovery efforts.

Learn more about the federal Disaster Declaration process on FEMA’s website.

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Contact: Brittany Marshall
Brittany.Marshall2@maryland.gov