Federal disaster assistance for last September’s historic floods will not be coming to Globe-Miami, at least for now. The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied Arizona’s request for a major disaster declaration last month, prompting criticism from state, county and local officials, and setting the stage for an appeal.
As 2025 came to a close, Arizona joined Colorado, New Mexico, Maryland and Wisconsin in being denied FEMA assistance following recent natural disasters.
Gov. Katie Hobbs requested FEMA funding for Gila and Mohave counties after the floods in an Oct. 24 letter to the Trump administration. In that letter, Hobbs asked for a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
Arizona’s congressional delegation followed up with a bipartisan letter of support on Nov. 5, signed by U.S. Rep. Eli Crane and U.S. Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly.
Despite that support, Hobbs’ office received a denial letter on Dec. 20 from senior FEMA official Karen Evans. Evans wrote that the request was denied because the damage “was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state and affected local governments.”
Hobbs, along with Miami Mayor Gil Madrid, Globe Mayor Al Gameros, and Steve Christensen, Gila County District One Supervisor and Chairman, have all publicly denounced the decision.
“Miami is a strong and resilient community, and I know we can build back from this devastation, but this is a frustrating setback that will have a real impact on our families and businesses,” Madrid said of the decision.
In her October request, Hobbs reported preliminary damage estimates exceeding $30 million across Mohave and Gila counties. She stated that state, tribal, county and local resources were operating at full capacity at the time, and that initial assessments identified 312 damaged homes and 187 displaced households. Approximately 74 households were reported to be without flood insurance.
Hobbs requested public assistance for both Gila and Mohave counties, as well as statewide hazard mitigation assistance. She has since said publicly that the state will file an appeal of FEMA’s decision.
“Our community is extremely disappointed by FEMA’s short-sighted decision to deny the State’s Major Disaster Declaration,” said Mayor Gameros.
He described the denial as premature, stating that the City of Globe had not yet submitted a disaster assessment report with final figures. The report was not due until Jan. 28.
“They notified us on the 23rd that they had denied it, but we hadn't even had an opportunity to put the rest of our amounts in,” he said.
The Town of Miami stated during council meetings that it prepared a proposed budget for FEMA funding amounting to $29.5 million for the repair of roads, sidewalks, wall retention, and sewer infrastructure.
Meanwhile, The City of Globe was estimating needed funding to exceed $30 million in order to repair water lines, sewer lines and roadways, Gameros said.
“We are hopeful of success in the [appeal] process and of having the decision overturned with continued bipartisan support from all our Arizona Legislators,” he said.
He emphasized that, should the appeal go through, FEMA funding will only cover public infrastructure costs. However, residents and businesses will benefit indirectly if a major disaster declaration is approved.
“If we get the federal declaration, what it does for our residents and our business community is it opens up programs for them so they can apply directly to the federal government if they qualify,” he explained.
For instance, a state-level disaster declaration is what allowed Gila County residents to qualify for federal Small Business Administration loans.
The SBA issued an administrative disaster declaration following a request from Hobbs on Oct. 9, unlocking financial assistance for small businesses, nonprofits and residents.
As of Dec. 29, the SBA reported 126 completed applications related to the Globe-Miami floods, not including declines or withdrawals, which would bring the number of applications to above 200. Of the completed applications, 92 were for businesses and 34 for homes. The total amount in approved loan funds at that time exceeded $5.3 million.
The deadline for homeowners and businesses to apply for physical damage loans was Dec. 9, 2025, though it has an additional 60-day grace period. Applications for economic injury loans are due by July 10, 2026. The local SBA office remains open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Globe-Miami Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to pursuing emergency funding through Arizona’s Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, the City of Globe, Town of Miami and Gila County are also seeking assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service disaster recovery programs.
Those programs could help fund debris removal from stream channels, culverts and bridges; bank stabilization; drainage repairs; levee and structure repairs; and reseeding damaged areas. Participating entities face a Jan. 8 deadline to submit a conceptual design and cost package to NRCS. The program requires a 25% local match and allows up to 220 days to complete the work.
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Mayor Gameros provided the following as some of the programs and resources available with a Major Disaster Declaration:
Note: Reimbursement for repairs and stabilization of our city’s public infrastructure will provide a 90% return, compared to the state’s 75%. There is no direct reimbursement to residents or businesses with either a state or federal declaration.
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