FEMA Denies Federal Emergency Funds for State of Washington

 Bomb cyclone scars still remain

Before speaking about the outrageous decision of FEMA, let's provide some context. In late November 2024, a perfect storm of conditions- atmospheric instability, record warm temperatures, and an in-progress atmospheric river- came together to fuel a bomb cyclone that ripped through the pacific northwest, including Washington. 

Some additional context and definitions: An atmospheric river is where the jet stream carries along an overabundance of moisture over land for an extended period of time, leading to excessive rains and storms. A bomb cyclone is an incident where an organized storm system rapidly intensifies within 24 hours, often due to a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure and added heat or moisture.

During its horrific trek through the region, the storm caused two deaths, millions of power outages, and millions of dollars in damage across several states. $34 million dollars of damage occurred in Washington alone. The increased frequency of atmospheric rivers and bomb cyclones have been stated to be a result of climate change, as the necessary ingredients for powerful storms come together more frequently in a warming world.

In disasters like these, it's rare for any state to be able to muster the funds, resources, and manpower to single-handedly restore its communities back to full strength. The cost of debris removal, rebuilding supplies, resident relocation, and other functions often require millions of dollars that a stretched state budget might not be able to cover, especially when the cost to rebuild and recover inevitably exceeds the initial estimates. That's what the Federal Emergency Management Agency is for, designated for coordinating aid and funds- either in the form of reimbursements or stopgap funds- to give for states and individuals in need. 

At least, that's what it was for before the Trump administration took over. Now, that essential mission is being forgone.

Federal aid funds locked away

Not long after the rains had stopped and Washington state had completed its preliminary assessment, its governor sent in its formal request for FEMA aid. There's guidelines and minimum cost thresholds for a state to meet before it can even send in an application for emergency assistance, usually intended to keep states from using federal funding when local and state budgets are equipped to handle it on their own. Needless to say, Washington met these initial requirements.

These processes are rarely swift, unfortunately. While the initial application was submitted in late November, the case was not resolved by the time that the new administration took over the federal government and promptly turned normalcy onto its head.

As FEMA admin rifled through its paperwork left over from the last administration, they must've come across the application from Washington state and might've glanced at it for a presumed ten seconds before they made their decision. I say this because when Washington's Governor Bob Ferguson, a democrat, received the letter spelling out the denial for assistance, FEMA provided no true explanation for their reasoning in denying the funding. Only that the state's request was "not warranted", despite the state meeting all the qualifications for aid.

It's rare for FEMA to deny a call for aid from any state after such a disaster. The only other time that I can recall such a thing happening was when Trump had thrown a fit over giving proper FEMA aid to Costa Rica after it was devastated by Hurricane Maria, which sat overtop the island for days, killed at least 2,500 people (although the number is believed to be a gross underestimation), and wiped out most of its infrastructure and homes. So perhaps it's no surprise that, in the age of cost savings and efficiency obsessions, Trump and his cronies are again assuming that the livelihoods of individuals and their businesses are less important than funding tax cuts. 

Whatever the actual reason behind withholding funds may be, there is real danger in the timing of these antics. People's properties may be rotting away while they wait for assistance, people will be left without permanent housing and income for extended periods, and generally put a serious strain on state and local economies. This isn't even including the possibility of vulnerability to the next climate-fueled disaster waiting around the corner, while people don't have proper shelter, backup funds, and are subject to strained emergency services. Delays like the one FEMA is imposing on Washington for accessing essential aid will only result in wasteful and unnecessary loss.