After a western Maryland area hit hard by torrential rains in May disaster assistance was denied from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), state lawmakers and local leaders are protesting.<\/p>\n
The state of Maryland formally requested federal disaster relief immediately after the floods, and although the area met federal standards, FEMA denied the request with a simple letter and no specific reason. \u201cIt just said \u2018denied,\u2019 no explanation,\u201d one state official said. The decision by FEMA stands in stark contrast to President Donald Trump\u2019s announcement on Twitter the same day that FEMA had approved $11.7 million in disaster assistance for West Virginia, which was hit by flooding and tornadoes in June. \u201cThis decision really hit me in the gut,\u201d said Senator Mike McKay (R-West Maryland), expressing his disappointment. \u201cI expect FEMA to provide more detailed explanations as to why this was denied.\u201d<\/p>\n
The torrential rains from May 12 to 14 (pictured) caused Georges Creek to rise more than 12 feet above the major flood level, Walls Creek in Coverland rose eight feet, and the Potomac River overflowed. Midland, Ronaconing, and Westernport were among the hardest hit. Some areas were evacuated.<\/p>\n
Maryland Gov. Wes More visited the area immediately after the rains and declared a state of emergency, immediately requesting federal assistance from FEMA. In a statement released on the 23rd, he said, \u201cOver 200 homes, numerous businesses, roads, bridges, railroads, sewer and water systems, and public facilities were damaged,\u201d and \u201cthe total damage is approximately $90 million.\u201d<\/p>\n
Governor Moore emphasized, \u201cThis flood clearly met FEMA\u2019s criteria for disaster assistance,\u201d and \u201cThe residents of this area faithfully followed FEMA\u2019s assessment criteria, and we will appeal this decision and mobilize all available resources to support recovery.\u201d Maryland state government plans to file an official appeal against FEMA\u2019s denial decision, and is also providing emergency assistance at the state level separately. The local community is unable to hide its anger and disappointment over the federal government\u2019s decision, saying, \u201cWe have been turned away.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"