Governor Healey Denounces President Trump’s Continued Denial of Disaster Relief for Massachusetts Communities

Governor Healey Denounces President Trump’s Continued Denial of Disaster Relief for Massachusetts Communities

BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey is today denouncing President Donald Trump for yet again denying disaster relief for Massachusetts communities recovering from the February 2026 blizzard, which was one of the worst winter storms the state has seen in decades. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) previously denied Governor Healey’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration to provide federal Public Assistance to state agencies and local governments in Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket, Norfolk and Plymouth counties for eligible storm-related costs. The request also sought Snow Assistance for Barnstable, Bristol, Norfolk and Plymouth counties, which experienced record-breaking snowfall. Governor Healey appealed in July, but yesterday, FEMA informed the Governor that it too had been denied.

The denial comes after reports that President Trump overrode his own agencies to deny Massachusetts’ request, as well as requests from New York, Rhode Island and New Jersey. This happened in spite of FEMA previously confirming that Massachusetts far exceeded the threshold to qualify for federal disaster assistance, after determining the state had incurred approximately $45 million in eligible disaster costs.

“I’m outraged that President Trump has once again turned his back on Massachusetts. Our communities were hit by one of the worst winter storms we’ve seen in decades, and instead of helping them recover, he is refusing to provide the federal disaster assistance they deserve,” said Governor Healey. “Our first responders, public works crews and local officials worked around the clock to keep people safe and clean up after this storm. They did their jobs. We did ours. President Trump should do his. Instead, he’s leaving cities, towns and Massachusetts taxpayers to shoulder the costs of a major disaster on their own. This shouldn’t be about politics or what state you live in. It should be about helping Americans when they need it. President Trump may be willing to walk away from Massachusetts communities, but we won’t. We’ll keep standing with our cities and towns and fighting for the support they deserve.” 

The February blizzard, which dropped nearly three feet of snow on top of existing accumulation from a January storm, left extensive damage across eastern Massachusetts and required an unprecedented statewide response. Governor Healey declared a State of Emergency, activated the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) and the Massachusetts National Guard, and requested out-of-state assets from Connecticut, New York and Vermont to support state and local snow removal efforts. Governor Healey also secured $100 million in Fair Share funding to help cities and towns recover from extraordinary winter storm costs while continuing to pursue the federal disaster assistance Massachusetts qualified for.