Trump administration denies disaster declaration for record R.I. blizzard
PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island leaders are blasting the Trump administration for refusing to provide federal disaster aid for the record blizzard that buried the state under 37.9 inches of snow in February.
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President Trump denied Rhode Island’s request for a major disaster declaration on July 2 while approving more than $846 million in disaster relief funds for nine Republican-leaning states, the four Democrats in the Rhode Island delegation said in a joint statement.
“You chose to leave Rhode Islanders out in the cold,” they wrote. “It is unacceptable to politicize the disaster declaration process when Rhode Islanders’ health, safety, and businesses were severely impacted by this historic storm.”
Governor Daniel J. McKee, a Democrat, vowed to appeal the administration’s decision.
“The Trump administration’s denial of Rhode Island’s disaster declaration appears to be yet another case of the White House putting politics ahead of people,” McKee said. “Despite the significant documented damage and our state’s compelling case for federal assistance, Rhode Island and our communities are being denied the support we deserve.”
US Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo in saying the blizzard slammed Rhode Island on Feb. 22-23 with the intensity of a category 2 hurricane, causing power outages for tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders, resulting in two deaths, and causing more than $19 million worth of damage.
They said Trump is ignoring the state’s request for aid as part of a pattern of “extreme partisanship” aimed at harming blue states.
For example, they noted the Trump administration refused to issue a major disaster declaration for New York, a state led by Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul. And they cited Urban Institute data that shows 84 percent of disaster requests from states that voted for Trump in 2024 have been approved by his administration, compared to just 41 percent from states that voted for Kamala Harris.
“When extreme weather strikes, helping people stay safe and helping communities recover shouldn’t be a partisan issue,” the delegation said in a joint statement. “Disaster aid should be merit-based, not politicized. This is a petty move that hurts people across the political spectrum. We will fight it and work to reverse it.”
The delegation members wrote a letter to Trump, demanding he reverse the denial. They said Rhode Island worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on a preliminary damage assessment that was submitted on April 7 of this year.
“The extensive review found over $19 million in validated damages, an amount that greatly exceeds the threshold for a major disaster declaration,” they wrote. “Given the impact this storm had on the local economy, public services, and infrastructure, you should immediately approve any appeal submitted by the State of Rhode Island to reverse the denial of its request.”
Under the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, snowstorms have historically been listed among the natural events that qualify for federal assistance, the delegation noted. And earlier this year, congressional appropriators from both parties affirmed in a report accompanying the 2026 Department of Homeland Security appropriations package that “snowstorms shall be eligible for federal relief.”
McKee described the blizzard as “one of the most severe weather events in Rhode Island history.
“It shattered snowfall records, caused power outages, and imposed significant costs on our cities and towns as they worked around the clock in partnership with my administration to keep Rhode Islanders safe,” he said. “Together, we mounted a swift and effective response to an unprecedented storm. Now, we will appeal this decision and continue fighting for the federal support Rhode Island deserves.”
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