Name: Colorado counties impacted by fires, flooding
Uploaded: 2025-12-23T09:46:54.672Z
Duration: 3 min 38 s
Description: President Donald Trump late Saturday denied Colorado’s request for disaster relief funding following the Elk and Lee fires and Western Slope flooding this summer.

President Donald Trump late Saturday denied Colorado’s request for disaster relief funding following the Elk and Lee fires and Western Slope flooding this summer.

Colorado

Colorado is continuing recovery efforts after experiencing significant wildfires during the summer and severe flooding in October, affecting several counties. Governor Polis requested federal assistance for both disasters, but the requests for FEMA funding, totaling over $40 million, were denied by President Trump, citing unmet reimbursement requirements.

Local officials expressed disappointment with the decision, emphasizing the strain on rural communities and the importance of federal support when local resources are insufficient. County commissioners are appealing the denial, while state and federal representatives are calling for consistent FEMA criteria and continued cooperation to secure aid for recovery.

Colorado counties impacted by fires, flooding

Colorado is still working to recover from two major disasters this year. We had the Elkin Lee fires on the West Slope during the summer, and then that awful flooding in southwestern Colorado in October. The governor requested federal assistance for both, and over the weekend, President Trump denied the request for FEMA funding. Glad you're with us tonight at 5, I'm Shannon Ogden. And I'm Natalie Chuck. Both areas of our state are still trying to rebuild from those disasters, something that does not come cheap. Denver 7's Maggie Bryan is hearing from local leaders who say they are disappointed by the decision and learning more about how they plan to keep fighting. When disaster strikes in rural Colorado, communities are used to stepping up for one another. It's amazing to see the amount of help that people are willing to give. But months after fires and floods tore through several counties across our state. Very disappointing. Beyond disappointing. Officials say they're frustrated the federal government is not showing the same support. That's why we have FEMA is when local resources are overwhelmed. In a letter to Governor Polis on Saturday, FEMA officials denied two state requests for federal funds following the disasters. The money would have gone toward repairing $27 million in damage in Rio Blanco County after the Lee and Elk fires in August. Rio Blanco County Commissioner Callie Scritchfield says the majority of that damage was to natural gas infrastructure. The oil and gas industry is the lifeline for this county and they are not being able to function at full capacity yet today because of the infrastructure damage. The other FEMA request was for more than $13 million in damages after flooding in Archuleta, La Plata and Mineral Counties. La Plata County Commissioner Marsha Porter-Norton says FEMA money would help pay for repairs to roads and bridges and also reimburse pay for employees who worked around the clock during the floods. You mentioned you guys have spent more than $200,000 already repairing some of those damages. Where did that money come from? That money came from our general fund and that's why this denial of the federal declaration is very disappointing and frustrating. You know, the whole reason to have a federal emergency management system is when local governments get overwhelmed. A White House spokesperson told Denver 7 the FEMA denial was not a political decision and instead that the state requests did not meet their requirements for reimbursement. The spokesperson also said the federal government helped Colorado with aerial support to fight fires. Moving forward, both county commissioners say they're working to appeal FEMA's decision. Are you hopeful that this denial can be reversed? Certainly. We are disappointed, but we will continue to work towards solutions. We do have contingency that we have to put aside. Because even if federal dollars do not come through, these rural communities are no strangers to supporting themselves. I'm Maggie Bryan, Denver 7. And we are hearing from Colorado Congressman Jeff Hurd who represents the district where these fires and flooding happened. In a statement, the Republican representative says, quote, Western Colorado has long supported the president and that support comes from communities now facing the real human and economic consequences of recent disasters. Local leaders and residents are seeking a consistent application of FEMA criteria so recovery efforts can move forward. The Colorado state and federal delegation were united in seeking assistance for help after these tragedies and we ask the administration to work with us on an appeal.

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