President Donald Trump has approved federal disaster aid for six states and tribes following storms and floods that occurred this spring and summer.
The disaster declarations announced on Thursday will enable federal funds to be distributed to Kansas, North Carolina, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and to tribes in Montana and South Dakota. Except for Wisconsin, Trump took over a month to approve aid requests from local officials, continuing a pattern of delays in disaster relief noted by a recent analysis from the Associated Press.
Since taking office in January, Trump has approved over 30 major natural disaster declarations. Prior to the latest approvals, the average wait time from when relief was requested to approval was 34 days. For the most recent declarations, this wait time varied from 15 days for Wisconsin’s flooding aid request in August to 56 days for a tribal request after Montana’s flooding in May.
The AP’s analysis indicated that delays in federal disaster aid approvals have grown over time, irrespective of the ruling party. In the 1990s and early 2000s, requests for presidential disaster declarations were typically approved in under two weeks. This increased to about three weeks over the past decade under presidents from both major parties. During Trump’s first term, the average approval time for requests was 24 days.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson informed the AP that Trump is conducting “a more thorough review of disaster declaration requests than any Administration has before him,” ensuring federal tax dollars are utilized wisely.
However, delays mean individuals wait longer to access federal aid for daily living expenses, temporary accommodations, and home repairs. Delays in disaster declarations can also hinder recovery efforts by local officials who remain uncertain about receiving federal reimbursement for debris cleanup and infrastructure rebuilding.
Trump’s recent declarations sanctioned public assistance for local governments and nonprofits in all cases but Wisconsin, where assistance for individuals was approved. This does not prevent the federal government from later granting public assistance for Wisconsin as well.
