{
  "id": 18174759,
  "title": "Trump approved nearly 90% of disaster aid requests from all-Republican states and only 23% from all-Democratic ones",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/trump-approved-nearly-90-of-disaster-aid-requests-from-all-republican",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-11-04T19:38:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/11/04/trump-disaster-aid-fema-republican-democratic-states-libraries/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In early 2026, a series of tornadoes struck southwest Michigan, claiming four lives and causing extensive damage. Governor Gretchen Whitmer sought assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to cover uninsured and underinsured losses, but her requests were repeatedly denied. This denial pattern reflects a broader trend of reduced predictability in federal disaster aid.\n\nDuring the Trump administration, nearly 90% of disaster aid requests from all-Republican states were approved, whereas only 23% of such requests from all-Democratic states were approved. This disparity was evident in Colorado, where both of its 2025 disaster appeals were rejected, marking the first such denials for the state since the 1980s. In contrast, Florida, an all-Republican state, received $416 million in disaster assistance in June 2025, with much of the funding earmarked for areas close to President Trump.\n\nAnalysis by Andrew Rumbach, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, indicates that states Trump won in 2024 saw a 84% approval rate for FEMA requests, compared to a mere 42% approval rate for states he lost. Despite the White House denying any political influence on aid distribution, local communities now bear a larger share of disaster costs than in previous years. FEMA is owed over $10 billion in reimbursements for recovery work that cities and towns have already paid for.\n\nIn the absence of federal aid, local residents often take the lead in disaster response and recovery. In Union City, Michigan, for instance, neighbors quickly mobilized after an EF3 tornado killed three people in March 2026. Schools transformed into shelters, volunteers provided food and supplies, and local organizations like the United Way and a church started relief funds. This grassroots response highlights the crucial role that local resources play in disaster situations.\n\nResearch on U.S. disasters underscores the importance of social ties in building resilient communities. Places such as schools, faith-based organizations, and libraries serve as critical hubs for connecting neighbors and facilitating recovery efforts. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in East New Orleans played a pivotal role in coordinating supplies, organizing volunteers, and keeping residents connected during the evacuation process. By 2007, 90% of the neighborhood had returned home, a stark contrast to the 45% recovery rate for the city as a whole.\n\nMoreover, during the COVID-19 pandemic, studies found that counties with stronger social ties experienced fewer pandemic-related deaths. Bonding ties, which connect neighbors and family, and linking ties, which link residents to officials, were found to significantly reduce the pandemic's toll. Libraries, in particular, have emerged as vital community assets during disasters. In 2025, 44.7% of U.S. public libraries served as cooling or warming centers during extreme temperatures, representing an 8.2% increase from 2022. However, only 36% of library directors were aware that federal law permits them to seek FEMA relocation funding for moving to safer ground, and just 51% had an emergency preparedness plan in place.\n\nAs federal disaster aid becomes increasingly unpredictable, local communities are stepping up to fill the gaps. By investing in social infrastructure like libraries, parks, schools, and places of worship, communities can foster bonds that strengthen resilience and accelerate recovery.",
  "summary": "FEMA owes local governments almost $10 billion in reimbursements for recovery work that cities and towns have already paid for.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}