Trump Approves Major Disaster Declarations for Seven States

The Trump administration approved major disaster declaration requests for at least seven states during the week ending April 11, 2026, according to data released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These declarations allow affected communities to access federal funding and support for recovery needs, including aid for survivors and repairs to public infrastructure.

The states granted major disaster declarations include Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Washington. President Donald Trump amended previous disaster declarations for Mississippi and Tennessee to include more counties for individual assistance following a severe winter storm in January 2026.

DHS Shutdown and Funding Constraints

The announcement comes amid an ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown that has lasted eight weeks. While FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund does not lapse during a shutdown, allowing response and recovery work to continue, the fund’s resources are running low.

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A pending DHS appropriations bill would replenish the Disaster Relief Fund with more than $26 billion.

Leadership Transition and Agency Outlook

The approvals occur weeks into the tenure of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who replaced Kristi Noem after she was fired by President Trump in March 2026. Mullin, a former Republican senator from Oklahoma, has indicated an intention to accelerate the processing of past disaster requests.

On April 7, 2026, while surveying Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in Lake Lure and Chimney Rock, North Carolina, Mullin stated, We’re trying to push this stuff forward as fast as possible, noting that disasters are happening constantly.

Despite these approvals, the long-term future of FEMA remains uncertain. President Trump has expressed a desire to shift more disaster responsibility to the states. A FEMA Review Council appointed by the president last year has yet to release a recommendation report that is expected to include sweeping changes to federal support for disaster response, recovery, and resilience.

Processing Delays and State Denials

Some jurisdictions are experiencing significant delays in receiving federal aid decisions. Approximately 15 requests for assistance from other states and tribes for extreme weather events from 2025 and 2026 remain pending, along with three appeals of previous denials.

Arizona has been awaiting a decision for nearly three months regarding its appeal after being denied support for severe storms and flooding that occurred in September 2025.

An analysis by The Associated Press in September indicated that disaster approvals were taking more than a month on average during Trump’s second term. Here’s a marked increase from the 1990s and early 2000s, when requests were typically granted in less than two weeks, and the subsequent decade, where the average rose to approximately three weeks.

Some Democrat-led states have reported being denied declarations despite evidence of need. Maryland Governor Wes Moore described the decision as deeply frustrating after the president twice denied requests for support regarding May 2025 flooding, despite a FEMA assessment showing damages exceeding $33 million.

Federal Policy and Hazard Mitigation

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated on April 11, 2026, that the president reviews requests to ensure tax dollars supplement — not substitute — state obligations to recover from disasters. She added that the administration wants state and local governments to invest in their own resilience to make recovery less prolonged.

Notably, none of the approvals issued this week include hazard mitigation funding. This funding, which helps communities build more resilience, was previously a common addition to disaster support; however, President Trump has not approved a hazard mitigation request in more than a year.

Separate from the FEMA briefing, Hawaii Governor Josh Green stated on April 9, 2026, that his state received a disaster declaration for flooding that occurred in March 2026.