Delaney: State Should Reconsider Aid Request for Western Maryland Communities Hit by Flood

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman John K. Delaney (MD-6) wrote to Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and MEMA Executive Director Ken Mallette asking that the state reconsider its decision to not request federal aid for communities impacted by the June flooding in Western Maryland.

The text of the letter is below:

July 24, 2014

Governor Martin O’Malley

Maryland State House

100 State Circle

Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Ken Mallette
Executive Director
Maryland Emergency Management Agency
5401 Rue St. Lo Drive
Reisterstown, Maryland 21136

Dear Governor O’Malley & Executive Director Mallette:

On June 12, 2014, heavy rain fell throughout the day in sections of Allegany and Washington Counties in Western Maryland. The storm produced several inches of rain, resulting in severe flooding. Well over 200 residences were impacted, resulting in millions of dollars in damages. I write today to express my worry that my constituents in Washington and Allegany County will not receive the assistance they need to rebuild and repair their lives and their communities. Respectfully, I would like to ask that the state reconsider its decision not to seek federal aid, given the possibility that additional factors could increase the likelihood of assistance.  

I know how committed you and your team at the Maryland Emergency Management Administration have been to the well-being of Marylanders in the past and I appreciate the prompt action you took in declaring Allegany and Washington County disaster areas in June. Given the interrelated state and federal components of the aid process, I look forward to working together to do all that we can for our constituents. As you know, distribution of federal assistance is incumbent upon a state request to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA). 

It is important to stress the extent of the damages in these counties. To date, several families have lost their homes, many more were damaged, and churches, businesses and schools are in need of repairs. Initial estimates in Allegany and Washington counties have assessed the costs at $3.6 million which includes debris removal, emergency protective measures, damaged roads, bridges and buildings. In Allegany County, 175 residences were impacted by the flood and in Washington County 65 residences were damaged or destroyed. It appears that no family affected by the flood in Allegany County has flood insurance and only three families in Washington County are insured. This unfortunate reality exacerbates the emotional and financial cost of repairing and rebuilding. Additionally, several businesses have been damaged by the flood, resulting in financial trauma to not only the owners of these businesses but also the communities that rely on them.

No formal request for federal assistance was made by your office to FEMA in the form of the Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA). Typically, federal assistance is often based on state “indicators” a mathematical calculation based on a state’s population and per capita accumulated damage. Maryland’s threshold to trigger federal assistance is $8,025,237.38 dollars. However, there are additional factors that can be considered by FEMA for Federal Individual Assistance for disasters. One of these special considerations is the breadth of insurance coverage among affected residents. FEMA can also consider what they call “special populations” that are especially distressed. These special populations include low-income communities and communities with a large proportion of unemployed residents. Consideration is also given to the concentration of damage, as well as the capability of local governments and charities to respond fully. 

I am concerned that these additional considerations, especially the widespread lack of insurance and the depth of the need in these communities, were not fully considered by MEMA. In letters sent to Washington and Allegany Counties on July 9, in response to their appeal for federal aid through FEMA, MEMA Executive Director Mallette wrote the following:

MEMA’s experience in applying for these individual assistance programs in the past is that FEMA relies heavily on the chart detailing the Average Amount of Assistance per Disaster in considering individual assistance applications. For the purposes of this program, Maryland is considered a mid-sized state, and on average FEMA looks for 582 homes with major damage or which are destroyed before approving individual assistance. […] In light of these numbers and the broader context of the application criteria and process, we have concluded that Allegany and Washington counties will not meet FEMA’s standards for federal individual disaster assistance.

Based on this statement, it appears that the state did not consider all the factors which could influence FEMA’s aid decision for the families and business owners in Western Maryland.  I do not want our constituents in Western Maryland to fall through the cracks. It is vitally important that we do all that we can to get assistance to these families that are in need of our support.

Although the date to submit a PDA with FEMA has passed, it may be possible to receive an extension from FEMA and to apply for assistance. I respectfully request that your office explore filing an extension for FEMA federal aid for the families of Western Maryland.

Given the problematic nature of FEMA’s assistance thresholds and formulas, it is likely that similar situations will continue to arise, with bad outcomes for Marylanders. I believe this is an area where our offices can work together to make the case for our constituents and to make sure that FEMA standards are applicable.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

John K. Delaney

Member of Congress

Maryland’s Sixth Congressional District

##