(The Center Square) – Facing $34 million in damages, the Washington state Congressional delegation sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Wednesday, pleading for disaster relief.
Severe winds and heavy rainfall that caused flooding and mudslides hit the Evergreen State last November in what experts call a “bomb cyclone.” Former Gov. Jay Inslee declared a disaster at the time across nine counties, which Gov. Bob Ferguson has since expanded to two others.
Ferguson requested relief funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in January, but FEMA denied the support last month. The agency didn’t provide him with much explanation, so the state is appealing the decision in hopes of securing $34 million.
“As representatives of Washington state, we earnestly request that you carefully reconsider this decision and approve the state’s pending appeal without further delay,” the bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers wrote to Trump.
The letter was signed by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, and all 10 of the state’s congressional representatives, including two Republicans aligned with the majority party.
Earlier this month, Murray accused the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem of politicizing disaster relief. The congresswoman said Noem was making it harder for states to qualify and asked if DHS prioritized Republican-led areas.
Noem denied the accusation, much like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when U.S. Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., asked about infrastructure funding on Wednesday. Murray also accused that agency of politicizing funding and prioritizing red states over blue states like hers on Thursday.
“From Grays Harbor, Pacific and Wahkiakum to King, Snohomish, and Walla Walla Counties,” the delegation wrote to the president, “it overwhelmed public infrastructure, endangered lives, and left residents across the state grappling with long-term consequences.”
The lawmakers reminded Trump about Ferguson’s $34 million request for disaster relief, adding that local government can’t afford to cover it alone. The storm caused significant damage to 600 homes and businesses, roughly 600,000 people lost power, and two individuals died.
“Disaster declarations are not symbolic, they are critical lifelines for communities in crisis,” they wrote in the letter. “Washington state’s first responders, local governments, and emergency management professionals have done everything within their means to begin recovery, but the scale of the damage requires federal support.”
