Maryland is preparing to appeal the federal government’s decision to deny disaster assistance for Western Maryland after catastrophic flooding in May caused tens of millions of dollars in damage.
Governor Wes Moore announced the denial this week, following the State’s formal request for federal aid to support recovery efforts in Allegany and Garrett counties — two areas that bore the brunt of severe flooding that damaged homes, roads, public utilities, and essential infrastructure.
Over several days beginning May 12, extreme rainfall from a stationary low-pressure system caused rivers and creeks to rise rapidly, overwhelming communities across Western Maryland.
By May 13, Georges Creek surged to 12.41 feet — above Major Flood Stage — submerging towns like Midland, Lonaconing, Barton, and Westernport. Wills Creek rose eight feet in Cumberland, and the North Branch of the Potomac River crossed into Major Flood Stage by midnight.
The flooding forced evacuations throughout the region. Emergency service personnel from 24 agencies across nine counties and three states carried out search and rescue operations. Emergency responders evacuated more than 200 students and staff from Westernport Elementary School by boat and sheltered students from other nearby schools overnight after relocating them to Mountain Ridge High School.
On May 15, Governor Moore declared a state of emergency. By June 13, the State submitted a formal request for federal disaster assistance based on joint preliminary damage assessments conducted by FEMA, the Maryland Department of Emergency Management, and local leaders.
The federal Stafford Act requires a presidential disaster declaration before federal aid becomes available to support recovery through FEMA’s Public Assistance and Individual Assistance programs. That declaration hinges on whether the President, based on FEMA’s recommendation, determines that the magnitude and severity of the disaster exceed the ability of state and local governments to respond.
Maryland’s request reflected that standard. The total estimated damages — $15.8 million — far exceeded FEMA’s thresholds. Allegany County’s damage total surpassed its minimum requirement of $321,460, and Maryland’s total exceeded the statewide threshold of $11,674,953.
Historically, FEMA has approved disaster declarations under similar circumstances when state and local costs meet or exceed these benchmarks. Despite that, FEMA denied Maryland’s request. The State will appeal the decision, arguing that the flooding met FEMA’s criteria and left communities in urgent need of federal support to recover and rebuild.
“The devastating floods that hit Western Maryland in May clearly met disaster assistance criteria established by FEMA,” said Governor Moore. “These communities demonstrated a clear need through FEMA’s own process, and Maryland will appeal the decision to seek all available resources to support the recovery efforts.”
In the meantime, the State has begun to mobilize resources. As previously reported on Conduit Street, Allegany County received $459,375 from the State Disaster Recovery Fund (SDRF) to support households impacted by the May 13 flooding. The State also made an additional $1 million in Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds available to residents in both Allegany and Garrett counties.
MACo and the County Emergency Managers Affiliate led the effort to create the SDRF as a dependable tool for local disaster recovery, filling a longstanding gap for counties that previously had no consistent pathway to receive State support for smaller-scale or non-federally declared disasters.
Although the fund remains undercapitalized and lacks a dedicated revenue source, recent legislation (HB 865 of 2025) streamlines the process for deploying SDRF aid during emergencies, helping ensure relief can reach impacted communities without delay.
Stay tuned to Conduit Street for more information.
Previous Conduit Street Coverage
State Activates New Disaster Fund for Allegany Flood Recovery
Governor Moore Declares Emergency After Historic Western Maryland Floods
Conduit Street Podcast: Disaster Dollars in Danger — Federal Funding Fades, County Risks Rise
County Emergency Managers to Congress: Protect FEMA, Restore BRIC
