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. If granted, the declaration will make federal assistance programs available to help restore critical public infrastructure in the storm-affected areas.
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. If granted, the declaration will make federal assistance programs available to help restore critical public infrastructure in the storm-affected areas.
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. If granted, the declaration will make federal assistance programs available to help restore critical public infrastructure in the storm-affected areas.
“Our communities in Western Maryland have experienced significant impacts to their homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure,” said Governor 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 infrastructure damage—including more than 200 homes, businesses, roads, bridges, railroads, sewer systems, drinking water, and public utilities.
While the State of Maryland continues mobilizing support, the scale of destruction requires 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.”
If approved, the Presidential Disaster Declaration would enable:
These programs would help repair publicly owned facilities and fund risk reduction projects to minimize future flood damage.
To supplement recovery efforts, Governor Moore also announced the approval of $459,375 from Maryland’s first-ever State Disaster Recovery Fund to support Allegany County.
Learn more about the federal disaster declaration process at FEMA.gov.