McKee vows to appeal.
By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current
On July 2, President Donald Trump denied requests from both Rhode Island and New York for federal funding to recover from the historic storm while granting disaster aid relief for red and purple states, along with blizzard recovery help for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe in Massachusetts.
“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, a Democrat, said Monday in a statement. “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.”
McKee’s office officially submitted the request under the federal Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act on April 7. The federal law allows governors to either request support for disasters caused by severe weather or if “the situation is beyond the capability of the state.”
The governor specifically sought out a declaration with public assistance, which provides reimbursements to state and local governments for storm-related expenses.
Rhode Island’s Emergency Management Agency received an email from FEMA denying the application a little after 11:30 a.m. July 2, according to records obtained by Rhode Island Current.
An attached letter from acting FEMA Administrator Robert J. Fenton offered no specific reason for the decision, saying only that “based on our review of all of the information available, it has been determined that supplemental federal assistance under the Stafford Act is not warranted.”
“Therefore, I must inform you that your request for a major disaster declaration is denied,” he wrote.
Over 3 feet of snow fell across many parts of Rhode Island, with 37.9 inches of snow recorded at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport when the blizzard hit on Monday, Feb. 23.
The blizzard had the magnitude of a Category 2 hurricane with 74 mph wind gusts. The storm knocked out power to thousands of homes and caused $19 million in damage across the state. Snow accumulation surpassed the 28.6 inches recorded during the Blizzard of 1978.
McKee declared a state of emergency on Sunday before the storm, including a travel ban across the state for passenger vehicles and tractor trailers. The travel ban was lifted two days later on Tuesday, Feb. 24, when most highways were cleared.
Connecticut, Maine, Pennsylvania and Vermont all sent plows and personnel to dig out Rhode Island in the days after the record storm.
“These response efforts placed an unprecedented strain on state and local capabilities,” McKee wrote in his April 7 request to FEMA. “Municipalities and state agencies exhausted available resources, including personnel, equipment, and budgeted emergency funds, to manage snow clearance and emergency protective measures.”
The city of Providence alone accounted for over $2 million in storm-related costs, resulting in Rhode Island’s capital city capping spending for the remainder of the fiscal year — which ended two days before FEMA’s denial.
McKee’s April 7 letter noted that Kent County, which received some of the highest snow totals, reported nearly $2 million in storm-related costs. The governor included photos of police vehicles and plows stuck in the snow.
“Operationally, heavy snowfall and rapid accumulation created hazardous and impassable road conditions, limiting emergency response capabilities and delaying access to residents in need,” McKee wrote.
U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined U.S. Reps. Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo in slamming the Trump administration’s denial in a joint statement issued Monday afternoon.
“When extreme weather strikes, helping people stay safe and helping communities recover shouldn’t be a partisan issue,” they said. “Disaster aid should be merit-based, not politicized. This is a petty move that hurts people across the political spectrum.”
The congressional delegates added that Trump’s decision to ignore Rhode Island’s request for aid was part of a pattern of “extreme partisanship” aimed at harming blue states. They cited data compiled by Urban Institute researcher Andrew Rumbach who has been tracking disaster declarations in Trump’s second term.
Rumbach’s analysis show over 84% of disaster requests from states that voted for Trump in 2024 have been approved by his administration, compared to just nearly 41% from states that voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris. Rumbach was not available for comment as of late Tuesday morning.
Even Democratic-led states that received funding have encountered communication issues with FEMA. In Wisconsin, which received $22.6 million in federal aid for flooding and severe storms, Gov. Tony Evers said he was not the first state official notified of the July 2 disaster declaration, the Wisconsin Examiner reported.
Instead, Trump posted on Truth Social that he’d contacted U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany — the Republican candidate he endorsed for Wisconsin governor — about greenlighting federal aid.
Rhode Island’s congressional delegation demanded that Trump reverse the denial in a letter to the president, asserting his administration’s decision “chose to leave Rhode Islanders out in the cold.”
“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,” they wrote.
Abigail Jackson, a spokesperson for the Trump White House, said in an emailed statement to Rhode Island Current “there is no politicization to the president’s decisions on disaster relief.”
“The Trump administration remains committed to empowering and working with state and local governments to invest in their own resilience before disaster strikes, making response less urgent and recovery less prolonged,” Jackson said.
Rhode Island is getting some federal relief for the storm. On June 11, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced it would offer low-interest loans to eligible small-business owners from economic losses caused by the snowstorm. Businesses can apply for 4% interest loans up to $2 million through March 10, 2027.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
- 6:10 pm Updated to include comment from Abigail Jackson, a spokesperson for the Trump White House, along with details of FEMA's denial and the state's request for federal aid.
Rhode Island Current is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Rhode Island Current maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janine L. Weisman for questions: info@rhodeislandcurrent.com.
