President Donald Trump granted Washington state’s request on Friday for an emergency declaration over flooding in the state.
“I just received a phone call from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Secretary Noem informed me that the president signed our request for an emergency declaration. We have also received written confirmation of that emergency declaration,” Gov. Bob Ferguson (D-WA) said in a statement to X.
The decision authorizes Federal Emergency Management Agency aid for Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, Lewis, Mason, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Whatcom, and Yakima counties, as well as the Samish Indian Nation and other indigenous nations in the affected areas.
Ferguson said he thanked Noem for the government’s action “during this extremely challenging time,” as over 100,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes due to flooding concentrated in western Washington.
“You can stand downtown here and just see whole Doug firs and cottonwood trees coming down the river, like a freight train,” resident James Eichner told the New York Times. “It’s just a giant steamroller.”
Ferguson activated the National Guard and declared a statewide emergency on Wednesday, saying it would allow the state to seek federal FEMA funds for recovery.
Washington’s congressional delegation sent a letter to Trump the following day requesting that the president approve an emergency declaration.
“This storm is threatening lives, property, and livestock in every corner of Washington. The storm has had severe and widespread impacts on our transportation system, with major highways closed due to mudslides and communities cut off by rising water. The National Weather Service forecasts that more than a dozen Washington rivers will see major flooding in the coming days, leading to further and worsening impacts,” the delegation warned.
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Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) praised Trump’s “fast” response on Friday.
“Thank you for helping respond to our infrastructure needs. Thank you for supporting our first responders,” she wrote on X.
