The Trump administration approved major disaster declaration requests for at least seven states this week, according to information released Saturday by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, allowing affected communities to access federal support. About 15 requests for assistance from others states and tribes for extreme weather events this year and last seem to be pending, along with three appeals of previous denials.
Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota and Washington were granted major disaster declarations, which can unlock federal support and funding for recovery needs such as public infrastructure repairs and aid for survivors.
The announcement, in a FEMA daily briefing document, comes weeks into Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s tenure overseeing the disaster relief agency and is the latest signal that the former Republican senator from Oklahoma could ease some of the turmoil from the leadership of his predecessor, Kristi Noem, who was fired by President Donald Trump in March.
Nonetheless, FEMA’s work could be undermined by the ongoing DHS shutdown, now eight weeks long. While disaster response and recovery can continue through a shutdown because FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund does not lapse, that money is running low as the funding impasse drags on. The DHS appropriations bill would replenish the fund with more than $26 billion.
Mullin said Tuesday that he planned to brief Trump that day on the pending declaration requests, affirming his intention to speed up work on past disasters in the run-up to Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1.
“We’re trying to push this stuff forward as fast as possible,” Mullin said after surveying Hurricane Helene recovery work in North Carolina on his first official visit as DHS secretary, acknowledging that “disasters are happening constantly.”
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said Saturday that Trump responds to such requests “with great care and consideration, ensuring American tax dollars are used appropriately and efficiently by the states to supplement — not substitute — their obligation to respond to and recover from disasters.” She said an administration goal is having state and local governments “invest in their own resilience before disaster strikes, making response less urgent and recovery less prolonged.”
While Mullin assured fellow senators during his confirmation hearing that he believed in FEMA’s mission, the agency’s future is uncertain. Trump has expressed a desire to push more responsibility for disasters down to states. The FEMA Review Council he appointed last year has not released a recommendation report expected to include sweeping changes to how the federal government supports disaster resilience, response and recovery.
It was not immediately clear whether other states or tribes had also been told of approvals or denials that were not yet announced publicly. Hawaii Governor Josh Green, a Democrat, said Wednesday said his state had received a disaster declaration for devastating March flooding.
Trump also amended past disaster declarations for Tennessee and Mississippi, adding more counties for individual assistance after a severe winter storm in January.
Some communities have experienced unprecedented long waits for answers on their disaster requests during Trump’s second term. An analysis by The Associated Press in September found approvals were taking more than a month on average.
It took less than two weeks on average for a governor’s disaster declaration request to be granted by presidents in the 1990s and early 2000s. That rose to about three weeks during the past decade under presidents from both major parties.
Arizona has been waiting nearly three months for an answer to its appeal after being denied support for severe storms and flooding that occurred in September.
Some Democrat-led states have complained about being denied disaster declarations despite proving need. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore called Trump’s decision “deeply frustrating” after the president twice denied the state’s request for support for May 2025 flooding despite a FEMA assessment showing over $33 million in damages.
While FEMA assesses damage and uses a specific formula to analyze the possible impact on states and local jurisdictions, disaster declarations are ultimately at the president’s discretion.
None of the approvals made this week includes hazard mitigation funding, a once-typical add on to disaster declaration support that helped communities build back with more resilience. Trump has not approved a hazard mitigation request for more than a year.
The Trump administration recently approved major disaster declaration requests for seven states, as reported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This decision allows the affected communities to access federal assistance for recovery needs, including repairs to public infrastructure and aid for survivors. The states granted these declarations are Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Washington. In addition, there are approximately 15 other pending requests for assistance from various states and tribes related to extreme weather events from the past two years, along with three appeals regarding previous denials.
This announcement follows a few weeks into the tenure of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who oversees FEMA. His leadership is seen as a potential relief from the turmoil experienced under his predecessor, Kristi Noem, who was dismissed by President Trump in March. Despite this positive development, FEMA’s efforts may be hampered by the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, which has now lasted eight weeks. While FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund remains operational during the shutdown, the fund’s resources are dwindling, and the proposed DHS appropriations bill aims to replenish it with over $26 billion.
Mullin expressed his commitment to expediting the handling of pending disaster declaration requests, particularly as the Atlantic hurricane season approaches on June 1. During his first official visit as DHS Secretary, he noted that disasters are ongoing and emphasized the need for swift action. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson indicated that Trump carefully considers these requests to ensure that federal tax dollars are used efficiently, supplementing states’ obligations to manage disaster responses and recovery. The administration is also focused on encouraging state and local governments to invest in resilience measures before disasters occur, thereby reducing urgency and prolonging recovery efforts.
Despite Mullin’s assurances during his confirmation hearing that he supports FEMA’s mission, the agency’s future remains uncertain. President Trump has shown interest in shifting more disaster management responsibilities to the states. The FEMA Review Council, which Trump appointed last year, has yet to release a report that may suggest significant changes to how the federal government approaches disaster resilience, response, and recovery.
It is unclear if other states or tribes have received disaster declarations that have not yet been publicly announced. On a related note, Hawaii’s Governor Josh Green reported that his state received a disaster declaration due to severe flooding in March. Additionally, Trump modified previously approved disaster declarations for Tennessee and Mississippi to include more counties eligible for individual assistance following a severe winter storm in January.
However, some communities have faced unprecedented delays in receiving answers regarding their disaster requests during Trump’s second term. An analysis by The Associated Press indicated that, on average, disaster approval times have extended beyond a month. In contrast, during the 1990s and early 2000s, it took less than two weeks for presidents to grant disaster requests from governors. The average wait time increased to about three weeks over the past decade under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
Arizona, for example, has been waiting nearly three months for a response to its appeal after being denied support for severe storms and flooding that occurred in September. Meanwhile, some Democratic-led states have expressed frustration over denied disaster declarations despite demonstrating substantial need. Maryland Governor Wes Moore criticized Trump’s repeated denials of his state’s request for support related to flooding in May 2025, despite a FEMA assessment indicating over $33 million in damages.
FEMA’s process for assessing damage involves using a specific formula to gauge the potential impact on states and local jurisdictions; however, the ultimate decision on disaster declarations rests with the president. Notably, none of the recent approvals include hazard mitigation funding, which was once a standard component of disaster support to help communities rebuild with enhanced resilience. Trump has not approved any hazard mitigation requests for over a year, raising concerns about the long-term recovery capabilities of affected areas.
In summary, while the Trump administration has made strides in approving disaster declarations for several states, challenges remain due to the ongoing DHS shutdown, prolonged response times, and the administration’s evolving approach to disaster management. The emphasis on state responsibility and the lack of hazard mitigation funding raise questions about the future effectiveness of FEMA and the federal response to natural disasters.
