In a united front, Governor Katie Hobbs, alongside bipartisan Arizona leaders are calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to quickly reverse its refusal of emergency funding for Gila and Mohave counties following devastating October floods. The initial FEMA denial came last month, complicating recovery efforts as these communities grapple to rebuild without access to critical federal funds. Hobbs, in response, filed an appeal emphasizing the over $100 million in physical damages uncovered by damage assessments.
"When I visited small businesses and their owners, I saw firsthand how deeply families and livelihoods were affected," Governor Hobbs said in a statement published on the official Arizona Governor's office website. Hobbs pledged to continue to battle for a "fair and thorough review" through the appeals process. "The Arizonans devastated by this flooding deserve support from the federal government in times of crisis, and this transcends any political party affiliation," Hobbs added, underscoring the nonpartisan nature of this disaster relief.
Both Arizona Senators lent their voices to the cause. Senator Mark Kelly, calling to action the federal agency, was quoted as saying, "Families and small businesses in Gila and Mohave counties were hit hard by these floods, which tragically claimed three lives and caused millions of dollars in damage," in a statement echoed by Governor Hobbs's office. Senator Ruben Gallego stressed the dire need for federal support after witnessing the carnage himself last fall in Globe and Miami, meeting families and business owners who had lost everything to the floods.
An urgent plea also came from House Representatives. David Schweikert deemed the appeal "necessary," hoping FEMA would provide the desperately needed disaster relief. "Even by Washington standards, more than $100 million in damage in counties with small tax bases and large amounts of federal land should be an easy call for a major disaster declaration," Schweikert told the Governor's office. Greg Stanton, housed under the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee that oversees FEMA, leveled sharp criticism at the agency for failing to provide aid to communities awaiting aid. Bronze-skinned by the relentless Arizona sun, families who continue to live amongst the wreckage chirp for help, not the cold shoulder of bureaucratic denial – such was the sentiment voiced by Representative Adelita Grijalva, who, along with her colleagues, endorses the Governor's appeal for federal recovery assistance.
In a summary chorus of disapproval against the denial of FEMA aid, Representative Yassamin Ansari spoke out as well. "Withholding FEMA aid from Arizona communities who’ve been devastated by flooding is a deeply wrong and damaging choice. These Americans have suffered due to no fault of their own—they need assistance from their government," Ansari affirmed, according to materials distributed by Governor Hobbs's office. Meanwhile, Arizonan communities tether their hopes to a swift turnaround by FEMA to provide the lifeboat of assistance needed to salvage their futures.
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