Fact Check: "Washington state faced over $30 million in damages from a bomb cyclone, funding denied."
What We Know
In November 2024, Washington state experienced a severe storm system characterized as a "bomb cyclone," which resulted in significant damage across multiple counties. The estimated damages from this event are reported to be around $34 million. Following the storm, then-Governor Jay Inslee issued a disaster declaration for 11 counties, and the state applied for federal disaster relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in January 2025 (Governor Bob Ferguson statement on denial of federal disaster funds, FEMA denies Washington state disaster relief from bomb cyclone, governor says).
However, on April 14, 2025, FEMA denied Washington's application for these funds, stating that the assistance was "not warranted" without providing a detailed explanation for the denial (FEMA denies Washington state disaster relief from bomb cyclone, governor says). Governor Bob Ferguson expressed his disappointment, asserting that the state's application met all necessary criteria for funding and indicated that Washington would appeal the decision (Governor Bob Ferguson statement on denial of federal disaster funds).
Analysis
The claim that Washington state faced over $30 million in damages from a bomb cyclone and that funding was denied is substantiated by multiple credible sources. The $34 million damage estimate is consistent across reports, and the denial of federal assistance from FEMA is confirmed by both Governor Ferguson's statement and news articles (Governor Bob Ferguson statement on denial of federal disaster funds, FEMA denies Washington state disaster relief from bomb cyclone, governor says).
The reliability of these sources is high, as they include official statements from the Washington state government and reputable news outlets such as the Associated Press (FEMA denies Washington state disaster relief from bomb cyclone, governor says). The lack of an explanation from FEMA regarding the denial raises questions about the agency's decision-making process, but does not detract from the factual basis of the claim regarding the damages and the funding denial.
Furthermore, the context provided by the governor's statements indicates a broader issue of federal funding accessibility for disaster relief, which aligns with ongoing discussions about FEMA's role and effectiveness in disaster response (FEMA denies Washington state disaster relief from bomb cyclone, governor says).
Conclusion
The claim that Washington state faced over $30 million in damages from a bomb cyclone and that federal funding was denied is True. The evidence from official statements and news reports confirms both the extent of the damages and the denial of federal disaster relief funds.
