Maryland is escalating its fight for federal disaster relief after historic May floods in Western Maryland, with Governor Wes Moore announcing a formal appeal of the White House’s denial now that FEMA has validated damages nearly three times above the federal threshold for assistance.
Governor Wes Moore today announced that Maryland is formally appealing the denial of the State’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration following catastrophic flooding across Western Maryland in May.
The move comes after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) validated an additional $17.9 million in damages, raising the total to $33.7 million, nearly three times Maryland’s federal threshold for assistance.
“Maryland has met long-standing criteria for FEMA support in the wake of historic floods across Mountain Maryland. And this appeal isn’t simply justified, it’s necessary,” said Governor Moore.
As previously reported on Conduit Street, 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 — well 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.
Allegany and Garrett counties, working with the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) and FEMA, conducted joint preliminary damage assessments. Maryland requested a presidential disaster declaration on June 13 after determining the disaster’s cost far exceeded FEMA’s thresholds: $321,460 for Allegany County and $11,674,953 statewide.
Despite those findings, FEMA initially recommended denial, and on July 22, the White House refused Maryland’s request. FEMA’s letter argued the severity of the flooding did not warrant federal assistance.
Since then, however, FEMA itself has confirmed an additional $17.9 million in damages, bringing the total to $33.7 million. Historically, when joint damage assessments have shown costs above county and state indicators, FEMA has awarded disaster declarations.
“We have continued to work closely with Allegany and Garrett counties to capture the damages,” said MDEM Secretary Russell Strickland. “We will continue to pursue all possible assistance for the impacted communities to support their recovery.”
FEMA Public Assistance is only available through a presidential disaster declaration. That program would fund repairs to critical infrastructure like roads, bridges, water systems, and sewers. Maryland is also seeking access to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which supports investments to reduce risks from future disasters.
“Our county government does not have the financial capacity to absorb the full cost of disaster recovery,” said Allegany County Commission President David J. Caporale.“Without federal aid, essential systems will remain at risk. This is not simply a matter of convenience; these are lifelines for public safety, commerce, and the daily functioning of our community.”
While awaiting federal assistance, Maryland has tapped State resources to help residents. 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 gap for counties that previously had no consistent pathway to receive State support for smaller-scale or non-federally declared disasters.
Though still undercapitalized and without a permanent funding stream, recent legislation (HB 865 of 2025) improved the process to deploy SDRF dollars more quickly during emergencies.
Stay tuned to Conduit Street for more information.
Previous Conduit Street Coverage
#MACoCon Recap — FEMA Fallout: Facing Federal Funding Flux
No Help on the Way: FEMA Refuses Aid After Devastating Western Maryland Floods
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
