Delegation: FEMA Excluded Costs In Disaster Review
Members of the state’s Congressional delegation added their voices Wednesday to Gov. Maura Healey’s appeal of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s denial of a major disaster declaration for strong storms that flooded parts of Massachusetts in September.
“Recognizing that the flooding has strained finances, time, and resources for some of our most vulnerable communities in Massachusetts, we echo the Governor’s interest in appealing certain identified costs that FEMA excluded from its initial assessment of Massachusetts’ request,” U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, and U.S. Reps. Richard Neal, Jim McGovern, Lori Trahan and Jake Auchincloss wrote in the letter Tuesday.
The letter was sent to President Joe Biden and FEMA Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. The lawmakers added that it is “imperative that communities see strong partnership among federal, state, and local governments to deliver when residents need it most,” especially as climate change ramps up the frequency and intensity of storms.
The heavy rain between Sept. 11 and 13 led to “catastrophic flooding” in Bristol, Hampden and Worcester counties, the federal lawmakers wrote. In her own appeal of FEMA’s decision, the governor cited dozens of damaged sites in Leominster, a Springfield water main break and the “uniqueness of New England architecture” that makes buildings more vulnerable to flood damage.
FEMA denied funding to support communities affected by the flooding, writing last month that its officials determined the damage “was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state, local governments, and voluntary agencies to recover from,” according to CBS Boston.
