Trump Administration Approves Disaster Declarations for Seven States Ahead of Hurricane Season

Key Points

• Trump administration approved disaster declarations for at least seven states this week
• Declarations enable federal aid access ahead of Atlantic hurricane season starting June 1
• White House emphasizes using federal dollars to supplement, not substitute, state obligations
• Goal is encouraging state/local investment in resilience before disasters strike

Full Details

The Trump administration approved major disaster declaration requests for at least seven states this week, according to information released Saturday by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. These approvals allow affected communities to access federal support for disaster response and recovery efforts. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated that Trump responds to such requests 'with great care and consideration, ensuring American tax dollars are used appropriately and efficiently by the states to supplement — not substitute — their obligation to respond to and recover from disasters.' The administration's goal is having state and local governments 'invest in their own resilience before disaster strikes, making response less urgent and recovery less prolonged.' The approvals come as the nation heads into the Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1, with FEMA Administrator Mullin having briefed Trump on pending declaration requests to speed up work on past disasters.