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Trump’s Record Of Putting Conditions On Disaster Aid

Last Updated: 3/26/25

Trump Refused To Give Puerto Rico Necessary Relief Money Until 2019

June 6, 2019: Trump Signed A $19 Billion Disaster Relief Bill For Puerto Rico Following Hurricane Maria After A Long Delay

June 6, 2019: Trump Signed A $19 Billion Disaster Relief Bill After A Long Delay, Sending Billions In Aid To Puerto Rico And Several Other States Battered By Storms. According to CNBC, “President Donald Trump said he signed a long-awaited $19 billion disaster relief bill on Thursday to give aid to states and territories ravaged by storms. The delayed legislation will send funds to the hurricane-battered island of Puerto Rico and to states damaged by hurricanes, flooding, wildfires and earthquakes. The recipients include California, Florida, Georgia and Iowa.” [CNBC, 6/6/19]

Trump Claimed That “Puerto Rico Should Love President Trump” After He Signed The Bill Even Though Trump Initially Did Not Want To Give More Relief Funds To The Territory. According to CNBC, “‘Just signed Disaster Aid Bill to help Americans who have been hit by recent catastrophic storms,’ Trump tweeted on Thursday along with a photo of him holding a signed document. ‘So important for our GREAT American farmers and ranchers.’ He also contended that ‘Puerto Rico should love President Trump.’ The president claimed the island ‘would have been shut out’ without him. Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 2017. The storm knocked out power for 1.5 million people and it took 11 months to restore it. The island’s government estimated the hurricane caused nearly 3,000 deaths. Trump’s response to the devastation on the island has been widely criticized. Congress failed to approve the aid money quickly in no small part because Trump did not want to give more relief funds to the U.S. territory.” [CNBC, 6/6/19]

Trump Privately Vented About Federal Aid To Puerto Rico

Trump Sought To Find Ways To Limit Federal Support From Going To Puerto Rico And A Senior Administration Official Claimed That “He Doesn’t Want Another Single Dollar Going To The Island.” According to the Washington Post, “After initially vowing to reject the food-stamp funding, President Trump has agreed to the emergency request to help Senate Republicans pass a broader disaster-relief package, which may be taken up for a vote this week. But at an Oval Office meeting on Feb. 22, Trump asked top advisers for ways to limit federal support from going to Puerto Rico, believing it is taking money that should be going to the mainland, according to senior administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of the president’s private remarks […] Trump has also privately signaled he will not approve any additional help for Puerto Rico beyond the food-stamp money, setting up a congressional showdown with Democrats who have pushed for more expansive help for the island. A senior administration official with direct knowledge of the meeting described Trump’s stance: ‘He doesn’t want another single dollar going to the island.’” [Washington Post, 3/25/19]

January 15, 2020: Trump Imposed Severe Restrictions On Aid, Including Blocking Spending On The Island’s Electrical Grid

The Trump Administration Imposed Severe Restrictions On The $16 Billion In Funding Going To Puerto Rico. According to the New York Times, “The Trump administration imposed severe restrictions on Wednesday on billions of dollars in emergency relief to Puerto Rico, including blocking spending on the island’s electrical grid and suspending its $15-an-hour minimum wage for federally funded relief work. The nearly $16 billion in funding, released while Puerto Ricans still sleep on the streets for fear of aftershocks from last week’s earthquake, is part of $20 billion that Congress allocated for disaster recovery and preparation more than a year ago, in response to the commonwealth being hit by back-to-back hurricanes in 2017.” [New York Times, 1/15/20]

Although Puerto Rico Continued To Be Plagued By Rolling Blackouts, Trump Imposed A Restriction That Barred The Territory From Using Funds On The Electrical Grid. According to the New York Times, “Puerto Rico will be barred from paying its $15-an-hour minimum wage to workers on federally funded projects. And none of the funds can be used on the electrical grid, although the Department of Housing and Urban Development has yet to release nearly $2 billion that was allocated for Puerto Rico’s electrical system. White House officials acknowledged that rolling blackouts continue in Puerto Rico but insisted there was no need for new money […] A congressional aide involved in the issue said the White House and its budget office appeared to have chosen restrictions that would be politically difficult for Puerto Rican officials to carry out. That way, the aide suggested, the federal government would not appear responsible for withholding the aid.” [New York Times, 1/15/20]

Congress Approved Separate Funds For The Electrical Grid That Had Not Been Allocated. According to the New York Times, “The restriction relating to the electrical grid may just be a practical one: Congress has already appropriated a separate tranche of money specifically for the electrical grid, though it has yet to be allocated.” [New York Times, 1/15/20]

2020: As Michigan Flooded, Trump Threatened To Withhold Funding Because Of Absentee Ballot Applications 

2020: Less Than 24 Hours After Thousands Of Michiganders Were Evacuated Due To Flooding, Trump Tweeted About Withholding Funding From The State Over Absentee Ballot Applications. According to the Lansing State Journal, “Less than 24 hours after both the Edenville and Sanford dams broke and thousands were evacuated, President Donald Trump tweeted about withholding funding from Michigan should state officials proceed with a plan to mail absentee ballot applications.” [Lansing State Journal, 5/20/20]

2018: Amid Deadly Wildfires In California, Trump Threatened To Withhold Aid 

Less Than A Month Before California’s Deadliest Wildfire, Trump “Seemed To Threaten To Withhold Funding To Fight Wildfires In California”

October 2018: The Hill: Trump “Seemed To Threaten To Withhold Funding To Fight Wildfires In California If The State Doesn’t Remove More ‘Old Trees’ From Forests.” According to the Hill, “President Trump on Wednesday seemed to threaten to withhold funding to fight wildfires in California if the state doesn’t remove more ‘old trees’ from forests. ‘California’s a mess. We’re giving billions and billions of dollars for forest fires in California’ Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, shortly after Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told him about the Forest Service’s efforts to prevent fires.” [The Hill, 10/17/18] 

2018: California Experienced The Deadliest Wildfire In Its Modern History, Killing 88

In 2018, California Experienced The Deadliest Wildfire In Its Modern History. According to the New York Times, “The inferno that ravaged the wooded town of Paradise in northern California became the deadliest wildfire in the state’s modern history on Monday when officials said they had discovered the remains of 13 more people, bringing the death toll to 42. The Butte County sheriff, Kory L. Honea, has said more than 200 people remain missing in and around the town, which sits in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and was popular with retirees.” [New York Times, 11/12/18]

2018 Camp Fire Death Toll Reached 86. According to the Sacramento Bee, “The official death toll from November’s Camp Fire has risen to 86, the Butte County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday.” [Sacramento Bee, 8/8/19]

2018: The Woolsey Fire Destroyed Nearly 1,600 Homes And Other Buildings And Killed Three People

The 2018 Woolsey Fire Destroyed 1,600 Buildings And Left Three People Dead. According to the Associated Press, “Authorities have finally surrounded a Southern California wildfire that destroyed some 1,600 homes and other buildings and left three people dead. Fire officials announced Wednesday evening that the Woolsey Fire is 100 percent contained. The wind-whipped blaze erupted on Nov. 8 and spread destruction from Thousand Oaks to Malibu, west of Los Angeles.” [Associated Press, 11/22/18] 

Trump Responded To The Fires By Threatening To Withhold Federal Aid And Insulting The State’s Leadership 

November 2018: Trump Tweeted That He Would Withhold Federal Aid From California If They Did Not Improve Their Forest Management 

November 2018, Trump Tweeted: “Billions Of Dollars Are Given Each Year, With So Many Lives Lost, All Because Of Gross Mismanagement Of The Forests. Remedy Now, Or No More Fed Payments!” According to a tweet posted by Donald Trump, “There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!” [Twitter – @realDonaldTrump, 11/10/18]

January 2019: Trump Tweeted That He Ordered FEMA To Stop Sending Money To California “Unless They Get Their Act Together.”

2019: Trump On California After Deadly Wildfires: “Unless They Get Their Act Together, Which Is Unlikely, I Have Ordered FEMA To Send No More Money.” According to a tweet posted by Donald Trump, “Billions of dollars are sent to the State of California for Forest fires that, with proper Forest Management, would never happen. Unless they get their act together, which is unlikely, I have ordered FEMA to send no more money. It is a disgraceful situation in lives & money!” [Twitter – @realDonaldTrump, 1/19/19]

Former Trump Officials Said Trump Withheld Disaster Relief For California’s Camp Fire For Political Reasons

2020: Former Trump Official Miles Taylor Appeared In An Ad Saying Trump Directed Them To Hold Disaster Aid

Former Trump Official In An Ad: “He Told Us To Stop Giving Money To People Whose Houses Had Burned Down From A Wildfire Because He Was So Rageful That People In The State Of California Didn’t Support Him.” According to the Los Angeles Times, “The former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security claims in a political ad released Monday that President Trump tried to withhold disaster relief money for California’s wildfires because voters in the state opposed him politically. ‘He told us to stop giving money to people whose houses had burned down from a wildfire because he was so rageful that people in the state of California didn’t support him and that politically it wasn’t a base for him,’ Miles Taylor, who left the Trump administration in 2019, claims in the ad.” [Los Angeles Times, 8/17/20]

Trump Initially Refused To Approve Disaster Aid For California After Deadly Wildfires Because Of The State’s Democratic Leanings

2024: Former Trump Official Mark Harvey Said That Trump Initially Refused To Approve Disaster Aid For California After Deadly Wildfires In 2018 Because Of The State’s Democratic Leanings. According to E&E News, “But a review of Trump’s record by POLITICO’s E&E News and interviews with two former Trump White House officials show that the former president was flagrantly partisan at times in response to disasters and on at least three occasions hesitated to give disaster aid to areas he considered politically hostile or ordered special treatment for pro-Trump states. Mark Harvey, who was Trump’s senior director for resilience policy on the National Security Council staff, told E&E News on Wednesday that Trump initially refused to approve disaster aid for California after deadly wildfires in 2018 because of the state’s Democratic leanings.” [E&E News, 10/3/24]

Trump Changed His Mind On Granting Disaster Relief Once He Was Made Aware That Orange County Was Heavily Damaged, A County That Had More Republican Voters Than The Entire State Of Iowa

The Trump Official Said Trump Changed His Mind Once He Was Made Aware That Republicans Resided In The Areas Impacted By The Wildfire: “We Went As Far As Looking Up How Many Votes He Got In Those Impacted Areas … To Show Him These Are People Who Voted For You.” According to E&E News, “But Harvey said Trump changed his mind after Harvey pulled voting results to show him that heavily damaged Orange County, California, had more Trump supporters than the entire state of Iowa. ‘We went as far as looking up how many votes he got in those impacted areas … to show him these are people who voted for you,’ said Harvey, who recently endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris alongside more than 100 other Republican former national security officials.” [E&E News, 10/3/24]

2024 – 2025: Trump Threatened To Put Conditions On Aid For California Wildfires

January 2025: Trump Said He Would Not Give California Any Wildfire Aid Unless Gov. Newsom Allowed Water To Be Redirected

[VIDEO] Trump: “I Don’t Think We Should Give California Anything Until They Let Water Flow Down Into Their State.” According to Trump’s Fox News interview with Sean Hannity via YouTube, “HANNITY: Should the money be contingent on on them practicing the science of forestry? TRUMP: Well, I think this. I’m going to put a statement out today, I think, and maybe it’s already written. I said, I don’t think we should give California anything until they let water flow down into their state.” [Youtube – Fox News, ‘President Donald Trump: We will bring our country back,’ 1/22/25]

January 2025: Trump Suggested He Would Use The Los Angeles Fires As Means To Get Everything He Wanted In A Reconciliation Package

Trump: “They Want The Money To Go Out There So Badly. And I Don’t Think We Should Do A Bill Until Los Angeles Is Included. And When Los Angeles Is Included, We Get Everything We Want.” According to The Hill, “‘I’d like to see one bill. And because of Los Angeles, you’d think that’s a Democrat thing. They want that money going so fast. Because of Los Angeles, I think the concept of one, big, beautiful bill has been helped greatly,’ Trump said, noting he knew of many people who lost homes in the fires. ‘If you add Los Angeles into it, then you can really do one, big, beautiful bill, because, frankly, they want that so badly,’ he continued. ‘They want the money to go out there so badly. And I don’t think we should do a bill until Los Angeles is included. And when Los Angeles is included, we get everything we want.’” [The Hill, 1/16/25]

September – October 2024: Trump Threatened To Withold Money For Wildfires Unless Governor Newsom Approved Water Plans

[VIDEO] Trump: “Gavin Newscum Is Going To Sign Those Papers, And If He Doesn’t Sign Those Papers, We Won’t Give Him Money To Put Out All His Fires.” According to Trump’s remarks during a press conference in California via YouTube, “TRUMP: The water coming here is dead, and Gavin Newscum is going to sign those papers, and if he doesn’t sign those papers, we won’t give him money to put out all his fires. And if we don’t give him the money to put out his fires, he’s got problems. He’s a lousy governor.” [YouTube – Washington Post, ‘Trump holds news conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.,’ 9/13/24]

[VIDEO] Trump: “And We’ll Say, Gavin, If You Don’t Do It, We’re Not Giving Any Of That Fire Money That We Send You All The Time For All The Forest Fires.” According to Trump’s remarks during a rally in Coachella, California via YouTube, “TRUMP: So we’re going to take care of our farmers. We’re going to take care of your water situation and will force it down his throat. And we’ll say, Gavin, if you don’t do it, we’re not giving any of that fire money that we send you all the time for all the forest fires. It’s not hard to do. We just had so many other things to do.” [YouTube – Forbes, ‘FULL RALLY: Former President Trump Holds Campaign Event In Coachella, California,’ 10/13/24] 

Trump Said He Was Going To “Force” Gov. Newsom To Accept His Water Plan

[VIDEO] Trump On Newsom: “I Was Going To Give Him Unlimited Water. […] He Wouldn’t Do What We Wanted– And We’re Going To Force That Upon Him Now, But It’s Very Late.” According to Trump’s remarks at Mar-a-Lago via Twitter, “TRUMP: If you noticed yesterday, the hydrants were empty. They didn’t have any water, any of them. […] And that fire is still raging. When he [Newsom] turned that down, I was going to give him unlimited water. It really comes down from the north, way up north, including parts of Canada, so much water that they wouldn’t know what to do with. Just the opposite would’ve happened. And that’s the reason that this happened. He wouldn’t do what we wanted– and we’re going to force that upon him now, but it’s very late. Because I think it’s one of the great catastrophes in the history of our nation.” [Twitter – @atrupar, 1/9/25]

Record Of Republicans In Congress Putting Conditions On Disaster Aid

2013: Senate Republicans Attempted To Slash Funding For Federal Programs To Offset The Cost Of Disaster Aid For Hurricane Sandy Relief

Senate Republicans Attempted To Cut Federal Program Funding Across The Board By .5% To Offset The Cost Of Disaster Aid For Hurricane Sandy Relief. According to CBS News, “As with past natural disasters, the Sandy aid bill is not offset with spending cuts, meaning the aid adds to the deficit. The lone exception is an offset provision requiring that $3.4 billion for Army Corps of Engineers projects to protect against future storms be covered by an equal amount of unspecified spending cuts in other programs before next October. The Senate on Monday rejected, 35-62, an attempt by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to amend the final package Monday with a provision to cut federal programs across the board by one-half of 1 percent through 2021 as a way to prevent the disaster aid from swelling the U.S. debt.” [CBS News, 1/28/13] 

2013: The Sandy Aid Bill Had A Provision That Required $3.4 Billion Of Army Corps Of Engineers Resiliency Projects Be Paid For By Cuts To Other Programs Before October 2013 

According to CBS News, “As with past natural disasters, the Sandy aid bill is not offset with spending cuts, meaning the aid adds to the deficit. The lone exception is an offset provision requiring that $3.4 billion for Army Corps of Engineers projects to protect against future storms be covered by an equal amount of unspecified spending cuts in other programs before next October. The Senate on Monday rejected, 35-62, an attempt by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to amend the final package Monday with a provision to cut federal programs across the board by one-half of 1 percent through 2021 as a way to prevent the disaster aid from swelling the U.S. debt.” [CBS News, 1/28/13] 

2019: Senate Republicans Attempted To Pair Hurricane Maria Aid With Funding For Farmers Hit By Other Storms

Senate Republicans Attempted To Pair Hurricane Maria Aid With Funding For Farmers Hit By Other Storms. According to the Washington Post, “Congressional lawmakers knew of the deadlines for months. In January, House Democrats approved $600 million in additional food-stamp funding to finance the program until the fall, but the bill immediately stalled in the Senate, with the Trump administration releasing a letter calling the additional food-stamp aid ‘excessive and unnecessary.’ Multiple Senate Republicans, led by Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.), have incorporated the $600 million for Puerto Rico in legislation aimed at helping farmers in states such as Georgia who have been hurt by other storms, in a bid for broader support for their bill.” [Washington Post, 3/25/19] 

2024: Republican Rep. Greg Steube Introduced Legislation That Limited FEMA Aid To U.S. Citizens

2024: Republican Rep. Greg Steube Introduced Legislation That Limited FEMA Aid To U.S. Citizens. According to the Tampa Free Press, “U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) has introduced the FEMA for America First Act, legislation aimed at limiting Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster benefits to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. The bill specifically seeks to exclude noncitizens on parole, asylees, and refugees not actively pursuing green card status from accessing FEMA assistance after natural disasters.” [Tampa Free Press, 11/19/24] 

Current Law Allowed Noncitizens Paroled Into The U.S. For At Least One Year To Be Eligible For FEMA Benefits

Current Law Allowed Noncitizens Paroled Into The U.S. For At Least One Year On Humanitarian Grounds To Be Eligible For FEMA Benefits. According to the Tampa Free Press, “Under current law, noncitizens paroled into the U.S. for at least one year on humanitarian grounds are eligible for FEMA benefits. Steube’s legislation proposes a change, requiring all noncitizen applicants to be lawful permanent residents, such as green card holders, or asylees and refugees actively pursuing green card status to qualify for disaster aid.” [Tampa Free Press, 11/19/24] 

2011: In Response To The Joplin Tornados, GOP Majority Leader Eric Cantor Said Disaster Funds Would Have To Be Offset By Spending Cuts Elsewhere 

2011: In Response To The Joplin Tornados, GOP Majority Leader  Eric Cantor Said Disaster Funds Would Have To Be Offset By Spending Cuts Elsewhere. According to HuffPost, “On Sunday, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) reiterated his position that disaster relief funds for the tornado victims in Joplin, Missouri must be paid for with cuts to other programs. ‘Congress will find the money,’ Cantor said on CBS’ ‘Face the Nation’ ‘And it will be offset.’” [HuffPost, 5/30/11] 

Cantor Said There Was “Not A Question” That There Would Be Spending Offsets If Congress Approved More Aid. According to HuffPost, “‘There’s not a question that there are going to be offsets if there is a request for a supplemental,’ House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) told The Huffington Post. Cantor said it is important that people ‘reach out in their hearts for the people who suffer,’ and emphasized that he believes the federal government should play a role in responding to natural disasters. But at the same time, he said, ‘We can find things we don’t need to spend on to pay for it.’ ‘I also think there’s trillions of dollars of spending in Washington,’ Cantor added. ‘So it’s about priorities.’” [HuffPost, 5/26/11] 

Cantor Compared Federal Disaster Relief To Putting Off Buying A New Car To Care For A Sick Family Member. According to HuffPost, “The federal government typically pays for disaster relief, but Cantor has said repeatedly that the government must maintain fiscal discipline. On Sunday, he compared the situation to that of a family putting off buying a new car when a family member became ill. ‘When a family is struck with tragedy — like the family of Joplin … let’s say if they had $10,000 set aside to do something else with, to buy a new car … and then they were struck with a sick member of the family or something, and needed to take that money to apply it to that, that’s what they would do, because families don’t have unlimited money. And, really, neither does the federal government.’” [HuffPost, 5/30/11] 

2011: Past GOP Majority Leader Eric Cantor Said That Republicans Would Insist On Offsets For President Obama’s Request For $500 Million In Disaster Relief Funds For Hurricane Irene

2011: President Obama Asked Congress To Provide $5.1 Billion In Disaster Aid Following Hurricane Irene, Storms, And Flooding Across The Country. According to Politico, “Revising its numbers higher, the White House asked Congress on Friday for an additional $5.1 billion in disaster aid over the next 13 months beyond President Barack Obama’s earlier budget requests. The immediate impetus is the damage wrought by Hurricane Irene along the East Coast, but the cash problems of the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been building for months given the spate of devastating tornadoes and flooding in the Midwest and South this year.” [Politico, 9/9/11] 

A Spokesperson For Majority Leader Cantor Said Republicans Would Insist On Offsets For The $500 Million In Emergency Funds. According to Politico, “But a spokesperson for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) signaled late Friday that the GOP is likely to insist on offsets for the $500 million in emergency funds Obama requested for 2011, while dealing with the 2012 funds under a new set of rules agreed to as part of the August debt accord.” [Politico, 9/9/11] 

2017: GOP Rep. Mac Thornberry Pushed To Add Defense Spending Into Disaster Aid Legislation

2017: GOP Rep. Mac Thornberry Pushed To Add Defense Spending Into Disaster Aid Legislation. According to Inside Defense, “House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) has encouraged the Pentagon to attach a request for additional fiscal year 2018 defense funds to disaster aid legislation moving on Capitol Hill. ‘Kim Jong Un is not waiting until December,’ Thornberry said at a Heritage Foundation event, referencing the expiration date of an ongoing stopgap funding measure. ‘I’ve suggested to the department this is the time to get a head start,’ he continued.’ ‘I didn’t hint, I told him,’ Thornberry said, speaking of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. ‘Practically speaking, DOD needs to ask for it.’” [Inside Defense, 10/6/17] 

Federal Agencies Also Put Conditions On Disaster Aid

2013: FEMA Funding For Hurricane Sandy Included A Requirement That Communities Had To Show Plans To Rebuild Buildings To Be Safe For New Storms

2013: FEMA Funding For Hurricane Sandy Included A Requirement That Communities Had To Show Plans To Rebuild Buildings To Be Safe For New Storms. According to NJ Spotlight News, “It’s been nearly 80 days since superstorm Sandy tore through New Jersey, leaving a trail of destruction along the Jersey coast. Impacted residents continue to wait for federal assistance. The House finally approved a $51 billion relief package for Hurricane Sandy victims earlier this week. […] The FEMA repair money must go to repair civic facilities, but unlike prior situations like with Katrina, the Sandy aid comes with new strings attached, says Blakely. ‘That money this time around, as I understand it, will require that the buildings be safe for new storms. That was previously not a requirement,’ he said. ‘That means the communities will not only have to prioritize but they have [to have] plans to show that these buildings will be safer than they were before.’” [NJ Spotlight News, 1/18/13] 

2021-2024: FEMA And HUD Introduced Requirements That Projects Funded By The Agencies Had To Be Elevated Above Future Flood Levels

2021: FEMA Introduced Requirements For Homes Rebuilt With Mitigation Grants To Be Elevated At Least Two Feet Above Future Flood Levels. According to ClimateWire, “Homes rebuilt with mitigation grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency must be elevated at least 2 feet above the height that floodwaters are expected to reach, according to new federal guidelines. The FEMA policy, which took effect Aug. 27, aims to ensure that flood-damaged homes the agency pays to restore are protected from climate change as rising sea levels and slower-moving storms cause increased flooding.” [ClimateWire, 9/7/21] 

2022: FEMA Introduced Requirements That Structures Such As Schools, Hospitals, And Fire Stations Rebuilt In Flood-Prone Areas Using FEMA Disaster Aid Had To Be Elevated At Least Two Feet Above Local Flood Levels. According to ClimateWire, “Buildings such as schools, hospitals and fire stations that are rebuilt in flood-prone areas using Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster aid must be elevated at least 2 feet above the local flood level under new FEMA guidelines. The FEMA policy will increase rebuilding costs slightly but is likely to save money and possibly lives in the long term by preventing buildings from sustaining repeated flood damage. It also addresses frequent complaints that communities rebuild disaster-damaged structures without improvements to make them more resilient to future disasters.” [ClimateWire, 6/16/22] 

2023: FEMA Introduced A Requirement That Projects Funded By The Agency Had To Be Elevated Above Future Flood Levels. According to ClimateWire, “The Federal Emergency Management Agency has taken a significant step toward requiring that the buildings it helps repair after disasters are elevated significantly above climate-driven flood levels. […] The new standard, known as the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, requires federally funded construction projects to be elevated above flood levels projected for the future, incorporating climate change. Current federal flood standards don’t incorporate climate change and other future scenarios.” [ClimateWire, 10/11/23] 

The Requirements Were In Response To President Biden’s May 2021 Executive Order That Required Federally Funded Projects Be Built To Withstand Climate Impacts

May 2021: President Biden Issued An Executive Order That Required Federally Funded Projects Be Built To Withstand Climate Impacts. According to E&E News, “When Biden issued an expansive day one executive order on climate change and public health, it included a little-noticed provision that intended to reinstate a flood-mitigation policy that President Obama had established in 2015 and President Trump revoked in 2017. But in April, White House attorneys determined that Biden’s order had not actually reinstated the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard. The standard would require new federally funded projects located in flood zones to be built to withstand climate impacts such as sea-level rise. Biden’s latest executive order on climate change, signed Thursday, corrects the earlier mistake and officially puts the flood standard in place.” [ClimateWire, 5/24/21] 

2024: FEMA Finalized Their Federal Flood Risk Management Standard Rule

July 2024: FEMA Finalized Their Federal Flood Risk Management Standard Rule. According to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, “On July 11, 2024, FEMA published the final rule to fully implement the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, which revises the agency’s floodplain management regulations. This rule allows FEMA to consider the best available data in making projects and communities more resilient to increased flood risk.” [FEMA, Accessed 1/22/25] 

2024: The U.S. Department Of Housing And Urban Development Finalized A Rule Placing Conditions On The Agency’s Disaster Aid

2024: The U.S. Department Of Housing And Urban Development Finalized A Rule That Required Homes Built Or Repaired With Their Disaster Aid Be Elevated Two Feet Above Local Flood Levels. According to E&E News, “The Biden administration is imposing sweeping new flood-protection requirements on homes that are built or repaired with federal housing aid, despite industry warnings the policy would increase construction costs. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is publishing a rule Tuesday morning to protect new and rebuilt homes funded by HUD from flood damage by requiring them to be elevated 2 feet above the local flood level. The final rule also enlarges the flood zones where the elevation requirement applies.” [E&E News, 4/23/24] 

The Rule Was In Response To President Biden’s May 2021 Executive Order That Required Federally Funded Projects Be Built To Withstand Climate Impacts

May 2021: President Biden Issued An Executive Order That Required Federally Funded Projects Be Built To Withstand Climate Impacts. According to E&E News, “When Biden issued an expansive day one executive order on climate change and public health, it included a little-noticed provision that intended to reinstate a flood-mitigation policy that President Obama had established in 2015 and President Trump revoked in 2017. But in April, White House attorneys determined that Biden’s order had not actually reinstated the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard. The standard would require new federally funded projects located in flood zones to be built to withstand climate impacts such as sea-level rise. Biden’s latest executive order on climate change, signed Thursday, corrects the earlier mistake and officially puts the flood standard in place.” [ClimateWire, 5/24/21] April 2024: The U.S. Department Of Housing And Urban Development Finalized Their Rule To Align With Biden’s Executive Order. According to E&E News, “With its final rule, HUD has aligned with one of President Joe Biden’s earliest directives to address climate change and the damage it adds to flooding and other disasters. An executive order in May 2021 requires buildings and facilities built or renovated with federal money to be elevated above flood levels. Agencies are supposed to adopt a so-called Federal Flood Risk Management Standard that explains the new elevation requirements in detail.” [E&E News, 4/23/24]