FEMA declaration request backlog growing, approvals dropping under Trump as WV waits

But the Federal Emergency Management Agency has yet to approve requests West Virginia submitted six days after the flooding hit for emergency and major disaster declarations that could unlock pivotal financial support for individuals, families, state agencies and local governments.

A Gazette-Mail investigation of years of FEMA records shows the agency’s rate of declaration approvals has slowed significantly and its backlog of declaration requests from states and federally recognized tribes has doubled since President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20.

Since then, FEMA has been dogged by layoffs and uncertainty over its long-term future, with Trump calling for a shutdown of the agency. More than 200 employees were fired within a month of Trump’s takeover, per national reports, in line with his consideration of eliminating the agency — an act that would require legislative action.

West Virginia’s two declaration requests in response to last month’s flooding were among 12 still pending nationwide as of Monday, according to FEMA records. That backlog, which consisted of just six pending requests as of Jan. 20, includes six requests predating West Virginia’sÌý— the earliest three of which were submitted in May.

FEMA typically decides on requests out of order, with damage assessments factoring into wait times. The agency has approved declaration requests submitted weeks after West Virginia’s pending applications, including an approval Thursday for a request from New Mexico two days earlier seeking support for state and local governments and private nonprofits in four counties in response to flooding that left at least three people dead last week.

The Trump administration has approved 25 emergency and major disaster declarations since Jan. 20, according to FEMA data. Under then-President Joe Biden last year, FEMA approved nearly twice as many such declarationsÌý— 48Ìý— over the same span after approving 43 as of July 13, 2023.

In May, the National Weather Service predicted above-normal hurricane activity for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season lasting from June 1-Nov. 30, which may portend a greater declaration drop-off.

FEMA has slowed down in declaration approval frequency even compared with 2017, the first year of Trump’s first term, when the agency approved 31 declaration requests through July 13Ìý— 24% more than it has so far this year.

FEMA granted West Virginia a Major Disaster Declaration request on Feb. 26 in response to a state request nine days earlier following flooding that devastated much of southern West Virginia and left three dead in McDowell County.

That declaration enabled financial support for individuals in seven counties and for state and local governments as well as some nonprofits in 12 counties, covering a wider area than West Virginia’s pending request with a much shorter wait for approval.

FEMA: W.Va. requests 'in process,' no decision timelineÌý

FEMA’s news desk told the Gazette-Mail on Friday that Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s requests were still “in process.�

States initially complete damage assessments but may then request FEMA participation in Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments. Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments took place from June 23-26 for West Virginia’s pending request for Individual Assistance, while assessments for Public Assistance began June 24 and remain ongoing, according to FEMA’s news desk.

Individual Assistance is a FEMA program that provides funds directly to eligible individuals and families. Public Assistance is a FEMA program that supports state and local governments and certain local nonprofits.

Major Disaster Declarations often take months for the federal government to issue after severe weather events, but Emergency Declarations typically come just days after such events. Major Disaster Declarations provide a broad set of federal assistance programs for individuals and public infrastructure, including funding for emergency and permanent work. Emergency Declarations are a different type of declaration that unlock federal assistance for emergency services capped at $5 million.

The FEMA news desk said the agency can’t provide a projected timeline for when a decision would be issued by the White House regarding a disaster declaration request.

“All requests are evaluated individually and there is no typical timeline for when a declaration request decision will be made,� the FEMA news desk said in an email.

FEMA has denied 10 declaration requests under Trump since Jan. 20, meaning 29% of its declaration request decisions have been denials.

The Trump administration has backed off calls to abolish FEMA amid heavy criticism of the agency’s response to July 4 flooding that left at least 132 dead in Texas.

Trump hailed FEMA’s much-maligned response to the flooding in Texas during a visit there Friday, a month after he said he planned to “wean off of FEMA� and “bring it down to the state level.�

“A governor should be able to handle it, and frankly, if they can’t handle it, the aftermath, then maybe they shouldn’t be governor,� Trump said during a June 10 White House briefing.

Morrisey: Road repair costs estimated at $5.5M+

In a June 20 letter addressed to Trump asking for the emergency and major disaster declarations for Marion and Ohio counties, Morrisey cited a preliminary state Division of Highways estimate that road damage repair costs would exceed $5.5 million. Just over $1.1 million was potentially eligible for reimbursement under FEMA’s Public Assistance program, Morrisey said.

Morrisey reported to Trump that the Division of Highways was working to repair 41 miles of road in Ohio County and 29 miles of road in Marion County.

Morrisey cited a West Virginia National Guard preliminary estimate that clearing flood-soaked debris out of homes and brought to the public right-of-way for disposal was just over $1 million.

As of June 20, 176 service members were deployed to Ohio and Marion counties with 32 pieces of equipment to support debris operations, Morrisey wrote to Trump.

Four state Division of Natural Resources boat teams were assisting local first responders with search and rescue operations and had retrieved 31 vehicles from local waterways “with many more to go,� Morrisey wrote.

Morrisey reported to Trump that over 165 homes had been internally validated as having at least a “major� damage level and 45 others had been deemed “destroyed� after over 1,000 damage surveys were submitted by residents in impacted areas. The governor wrote to the president that he expected those numbers to “double, if not triple, in the coming days and weeks.�

“The severe weather event that devastated counties outlined in this request necessitates the need for supplementary federal assistance,� wrote Morrisey, an ardent Trump supporter who has declined to say whether he’s been concerned by the president floating a FEMA shutdown.

FEMA issued four Major Disaster Declarations for West Virginia in 2024, with 2,430 applications approved for Individual Assistance. Just over $16.2 million in total individual and household dollars were approved through FEMA across those four disaster declarations.

“I find that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response and recovery is beyond the capabilities of state and local governments,� Morrisey wrote to Trump. “Supplementary federal assistance is requested to ensure the protection of life, property, public health, and safety, and to avert the threat of further disaster.�