Help is on the way for people impacted by severe flooding in Worcester and Bristol counties last year following a declaration by President Joe Biden.
The Biden administration announced the declaration Wednesday night, partially reversing a previous FEMA decision to deny federal disaster aid.
“This is one major victory,” said Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella in a post on Facebook.
Heavy rainfall swept across parts of the state beginning on Sept. 11, 2023, prompting flash flooding in several communities.
In Leominster, more than seven inches of rain fell in a matter of hours, according to radar estimates at the time.
Flooding washed out roads, damaged buildings and forced first responders to rescue stranded residents at several locations. While crews quickly made some repairs, Mazzarella warned the recovery would be costly and would take time.
Outside Leominster, floodwaters also inundated communities including Attleboro.
“The damage still exists around the city and we’re happy today for the residents and the businesses,” Mazzarella said at a press conference Thursday.
The Biden administration in its announcement said Biden ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in areas affected by flooding from Sept. 11 to Sept. 13 in Bristol and Worcester counties. Biden’s declaration did not address a funding request related to flooding in Hampden County.
Within Bristol and Worcester counties, assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, according to the Biden administration, as well as low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses. The administration said assistance can also cover “other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.”
The administration said federal dollars are available for hazard mitigation across Massachusetts.
Mazzarella shared his initial reaction Wednesday night. Come Thursday morning, in a video posted to Facebook, he said officials were “still trying to figure out what it all means.”
Mazzarella said he spoke with leaders at the federal level who told him the Biden administration’s declaration covered funding for businesses and residents. Officials, Mazzarella said, told him a request for funding for city projects related to flooding was still pending. Gov. Maura Healey’s office later confirmed public assistance to reimburse state agencies and municipalities for certain storm-related expenses in Hampden and Worcester counties remained under review.
Still, Mazzarella said, “this is a major step in the right direction.”
“It’s good news because there were many, many, many who are out there who lost their property or yard or their driveway or living space and didn’t have the ability to borrow, didn’t have the ability to tap into savings, didn’t have the ability to reach into retirement…so I’m happy about that,” Mazzarella said.
Moving forward, Mazzarella said, he is “Cautiously optimistic.”
“We have projects that need to get done and it just means that, if we don’t get this assistance from the federal government, then we’ll have to put in for grants for each individual project and then really make a huge political push to get those approved,” he said.
Even before flooding rain came to parts of central and southeastern Massachusetts, communities in western Massachusetts dealt with flooding on several occasions in 2023.
State and local officials pushed for federal aid. But FEMA in February said the state was capable of handling the damage on its own.
After FEMA’s denial, Gov. Maura Healey appealed to Biden and FEMA Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich in a letter, still asking for funding in Worcester, Bristol and Hampden counties.
In a statement Wednesday, Healey celebrated the funding approval for Worcester and Bristol counties.
“Our communities have been through so much and continue to experience the impacts of these storms,” Healey said. “I thank President Biden and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for recognizing the scope of the impacts this extreme weather event had on many of our cities and towns in Massachusetts.”
“While I’m grateful that individual assistance from FEMA is on the way, I continue to call on President Biden and the White House to approve our entire appeal, including public assistance, so that local governments are made whole again after the catastrophic damage they incurred last year,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, whose district includes parts of central and western Massachusetts.
With money now approved for Worcester and Bristol counties, the Biden administration said residents and business owners who suffered losses in designated areas can apply for assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App.
Back at the state level, lawmakers approved $15 million in state funding in a supplemental budget last year to help communities hit by severe weather and flooding. State authorities distributed $10 million in funding in January. On Wednesday, Healey’s office said officials plan to distribute the remaining $5 million “as soon as possible after the resolution of the remaining appeal.”
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