Trump denies disaster aid for Mid-Hudson blizzard, including Orange County

Donald Trump denied New York’s request for federal disaster aid on Thursday. The decision leaves local governments still sorting out storm bills without the federal reimbursement they had expected.

Gov. Kathy Hochul asked for a major disaster declaration on March 26 after the Feb. 22-23 storm battered the region with record snowfall, strong winds, whiteout conditions, school closures and travel bans. Orange County had already declared a local state of emergency on Feb. 22 and closed county roads to nonessential travel starting Feb. 23, as crews dealt with storm damage and outages across the county.

Under FEMA rules, a major disaster declaration can unlock federal help for individuals and households, state and local governments, and certain nonprofits. That aid can cover public infrastructure repairs, emergency protective measures and other recovery costs under the Stafford Act. Without the declaration, Orange County, its towns and villages, and other local agencies may have to rely more heavily on state support or their own budgets to cover damage tied to roads, bridges, drainage systems and other public assets.

Hochul said she would appeal the denial. In a statement, she said, “We will appeal.” Her office had argued that the February blizzard created conditions severe enough to justify federal aid for communities still recovering from winter damage. U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand also backed approval, saying New York and its municipalities are not able to fully rebuild and recover without federal resources.

New York declared a state disaster emergency in 23 counties, including Orange County, and the National Weather Service determined that blizzard criteria was met on Feb. 23 in parts of the region. More than 40,000 households lost power. The event touched New York City, Long Island and the Mid-Hudson, adding pressure on local emergency managers and road departments already dealing with winter response costs.