September’s storms and flash flooding washed away roads and damaged hundreds of homes and businesses.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied Gov. Maura Healey’s request for disaster relief in the catastrophic storms and flooding that caused severe damage to parts of Massachusetts last September.
In a letter to Healey Sunday, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said the damage from the storm — which washed away roads and threatened the security of a Leominster dam — “was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state, affected local governments, and voluntary agencies.”
Healey previously declared a state of emergency on Sept. 12, after Worcester and Bristol Counties saw flash flooding and upwards of 10 inches of rain. The governor also requested a major disaster declaration for the impacted counties back in December, according to the FEMA letter.
In a statement, Healey’s office vowed to appeal FEMA’s decision.
“We submitted a strong request based on the severe local impacts this storm had on our communities,” Karissa Hand, Healey’s press secretary, said in a statement. “We plan to appeal this decision and will do everything we can to continue our advocacy with our federal partners and support our communities.”