Colorado flood towns wait on Trump for aid as Polis cites last year's denial

Nearly two weeks have passed since Colorado Gov. Jared Polis asked President Trump to declare a major disaster in flooded southwestern Colorado. The towns hit hardest are still waiting. NPR reported Thursday that residents can't tell whether federal help will come quickly, about a year after floods in the same area were turned down for aid ¹.

Pagosa Springs, a town of about 2,000 people, has now been hit by two floods. About 700 homes there were damaged, NPR reported, and many homeowners don't have flood insurance ¹.

It's also critical that we get that funding. We just can't do it without it.

What Colorado is asking for

Severe storms caused flooding and debris flows from Oct. 22 to Oct. 25. Polis declared a state disaster emergency for 11 counties on Oct. 22 and added Conejos County the next day ⁵.

On Oct. 31, Polis asked for an expedited major disaster declaration. It would release money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for Archuleta and Rio Grande counties. He asked for two programs: Public Assistance, which pays for damaged public property, and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which pays for work to reduce harm from future disasters ⁵⁶.

From Channel GOPTrump dodges rigged-election question, calls Massie loserDonald Trump · 525 plays · captioned, with the source named

Joint damage inspections found $26.989 million in costs that qualify. That includes about $10.6 million for roads, bridges and culverts, $8.59 million for parks and recreation sites, $2.44 million for public utilities and $4.16 million for emergency protective work ⁶. The estimate leaves out private property damage and sites that haven't been inspected yet ⁷.

The request does not include Individual Assistance, the FEMA program that helps families directly. The state said it would share updates on any request for that aid ⁵.

The congressional delegation's account says the San Juan River at Pagosa Springs crested at its second-highest level since 1911. The Rio Grande reached about 11,000 cubic feet per second, breaking a 1949 record. Sixteen homes and six commercial buildings were destroyed. No deaths were reported ².

The damage documented so far exceeds what state and local resources can address alone.

Democrats and Republicans sign the same letter

On Nov. 4, Colorado's members of Congress sent Trump a letter backing Polis's request. It was led by Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper and Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd. Signers included Democrats Michael Bennet, Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, Jason Crow and Brittany Pettersen, and Republicans Lauren Boebert, Jeff Crank and Gabe Evans ².

The letter said the lawmakers were "writing in the midst of a second catastrophic flooding event across the same region, which adds urgency." It warned: "Without additional support, residents could face unsafe homes and drinking water" ³.

On Nov. 10, the Archuleta County commissioners approved their own letter of support. It says E. coli bacteria contaminated dozens of rural private wells. It warns that an incoming winter storm could cause "secondary washouts" on soaked ground. Colorado has had 12 declared disasters in the past 12 months, the letter says ⁴.

The only federal money committed so far is for highways. The Federal Highway Administration approved $6.5 million of the roughly $65 million the state transportation department requested ¹⁵.

Last year's 'no'

In December 2025, Trump denied two Colorado requests. One covered the October 2025 floods in La Plata, Archuleta and Mineral counties, which damaged drinking water and wastewater systems. The other covered the August Elk and Lee wildfires ⁸. Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser called the denials part of a "retribution campaign" over the state's imprisonment of Tina Peters, a former county clerk convicted of election-system crimes ⁸.

This administration is a threat to the rule of law, and we've got to address this concern with every tool we can.

Hurd, a Republican, did not echo that charge. He urged the administration to work with the state on an appeal and said local leaders wanted "a consistent application of FEMA criteria" ⁸. On April 13, 2026, Trump upheld the denials on appeal. FEMA acting administrator Karen S. Evans sent the letters, which the Associated Press said gave little detail on why. Polis called the decision "incredibly disappointing" ⁹.

On May 15, Polis cut short Peters's sentence. Trump had said Colorado was "suffering a big price" for not releasing her ¹⁰. The White House has denied that politics plays a role in disaster decisions ⁸⁹.

President Trump provides a more thorough review of disaster declaration requests than any administration has before him.

That matters because the overall numbers are lopsided. An Urban Institute analysis of FEMA data, cited by the AP, found that about 84% of requests from states Trump won were approved in his second term, compared with about 42% from states Kamala Harris won. The analysis covered about 60 requests. Its author, Andrew Rumbach, said he had not concluded there was clear political bias and called for more openness from FEMA ⁹. Colorado did win approval on Sept. 4 for Public Assistance after this summer's Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain fires ¹¹.

In an interview published Nov. 1, Polis said he had not heard directly from Trump. He said that with this president, no one can be sure how requests will be handled ⁷. He has also described the process under this president as something of a mystery ⁶.

What comes next

State officials are visiting six counties to finish damage assessments. They haven't said when final figures will be ready ¹. Inspections are still going on in Alamosa, Conejos, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, Ouray, San Juan and San Miguel counties, and more requests are expected ².

The pattern is worth watching. The current request would rebuild roads, sewers and parks. It would not repair a family's home. Homeowners without flood insurance would have to wait for a separate request for direct aid, which hasn't been filed, and then for the president to say yes ¹⁵.

The Record

1. Apr 13, 2026Trump upholds his denial of Colorado's 2025 flood and wildfire disaster requests on appeal ⁹
2. May 15, 2026Polis cuts short Tina Peters's sentence after a pressure campaign by Trump ¹⁰
3. Oct 31, 2026Polis requests an expedited major disaster declaration for Archuleta and Rio Grande counties, citing $26.989 million in damage ⁵⁶
4. Nov 4, 2026Colorado's congressional delegation, Democrats and Republicans together, sends Trump a letter backing the request ²
5. Nov 10, 2026Archuleta County commissioners approve a letter urging immediate federal approval ⁴

Free to reprint Republish this story on your site or in your newsletter

Any site, blog or newsletter may run this story free of charge. Keep the credit line and its link to the original, do not sell it, and edit only for length or house style (the full terms). Photos carry their own licenses, noted under each photo on this page, so use the text alone unless a credit says otherwise.

<h2>Colorado flood towns wait on Trump for aid as Polis cites last year&#39;s denial</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files National Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/colorado-flood-towns-wait-on-trump-for-aid-as-polis-cites-last-year-s-denial">The GOP Files</a> on Friday, November 13, 2026.</em></p> <p>Nearly two weeks have passed since Colorado Gov. Jared Polis asked President Trump to declare a major disaster in flooded southwestern Colorado. The towns hit hardest are still waiting. NPR reported Thursday that residents can&#39;t tell whether federal help will come quickly, about a year after floods in the same area were turned down for aid .</p> <p>Pagosa Springs, a town of about 2,000 people, has now been hit by two floods. About 700 homes there were damaged, NPR reported, and many homeowners don&#39;t have flood insurance .</p> <blockquote><p>It&#39;s also critical that we get that funding. We just can&#39;t do it without it.</p><p>&mdash; Shari Price, Mayor of Pagosa Springs, Colorado</p></blockquote> <h2>What Colorado is asking for</h2> <p>Severe storms caused flooding and debris flows from Oct. 22 to Oct. 25. Polis declared a state disaster emergency for 11 counties on Oct. 22 and added Conejos County the next day .</p> <p>On Oct. 31, Polis asked for an expedited major disaster declaration. It would release money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for Archuleta and Rio Grande counties. He asked for two programs: Public Assistance, which pays for damaged public property, and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which pays for work to reduce harm from future disasters .</p> <p>Joint damage inspections found $26.989 million in costs that qualify. That includes about $10.6 million for roads, bridges and culverts, $8.59 million for parks and recreation sites, $2.44 million for public utilities and $4.16 million for emergency protective work . The estimate leaves out private property damage and sites that haven&#39;t been inspected yet .</p> <p>The request does not include Individual Assistance, the FEMA program that helps families directly. The state said it would share updates on any request for that aid .</p> <p>The congressional delegation&#39;s account says the San Juan River at Pagosa Springs crested at its second-highest level since 1911. The Rio Grande reached about 11,000 cubic feet per second, breaking a 1949 record. Sixteen homes and six commercial buildings were destroyed. No deaths were reported .</p> <blockquote><p>The damage documented so far exceeds what state and local resources can address alone.</p><p>&mdash; Jared Polis, Governor of Colorado, D</p></blockquote> <h2>Democrats and Republicans sign the same letter</h2> <p>On Nov. 4, Colorado&#39;s members of Congress sent Trump a letter backing Polis&#39;s request. It was led by Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper and Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd. Signers included Democrats Michael Bennet, Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, Jason Crow and Brittany Pettersen, and Republicans Lauren Boebert, Jeff Crank and Gabe Evans .</p> <p>The letter said the lawmakers were &quot;writing in the midst of a second catastrophic flooding event across the same region, which adds urgency.&quot; It warned: &quot;Without additional support, residents could face unsafe homes and drinking water&quot; .</p> <p>On Nov. 10, the Archuleta County commissioners approved their own letter of support. It says E. coli bacteria contaminated dozens of rural private wells. It warns that an incoming winter storm could cause &quot;secondary washouts&quot; on soaked ground. Colorado has had 12 declared disasters in the past 12 months, the letter says .</p> <p>The only federal money committed so far is for highways. The Federal Highway Administration approved $6.5 million of the roughly $65 million the state transportation department requested .</p> <h2>Last year&#39;s &#39;no&#39;</h2> <p>In December 2025, Trump denied two Colorado requests. One covered the October 2025 floods in La Plata, Archuleta and Mineral counties, which damaged drinking water and wastewater systems. The other covered the August Elk and Lee wildfires . Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser called the denials part of a &quot;retribution campaign&quot; over the state&#39;s imprisonment of Tina Peters, a former county clerk convicted of election-system crimes .</p> <blockquote><p>This administration is a threat to the rule of law, and we&#39;ve got to address this concern with every tool we can.</p><p>&mdash; Phil Weiser, Colorado Attorney General, D</p></blockquote> <p>Hurd, a Republican, did not echo that charge. He urged the administration to work with the state on an appeal and said local leaders wanted &quot;a consistent application of FEMA criteria&quot; . On April 13, 2026, Trump upheld the denials on appeal. FEMA acting administrator Karen S. Evans sent the letters, which the Associated Press said gave little detail on why. Polis called the decision &quot;incredibly disappointing&quot; .</p> <p>On May 15, Polis cut short Peters&#39;s sentence. Trump had said Colorado was &quot;suffering a big price&quot; for not releasing her . The White House has denied that politics plays a role in disaster decisions .</p> <blockquote><p>President Trump provides a more thorough review of disaster declaration requests than any administration has before him.</p><p>&mdash; Abigail Jackson, White House spokesperson</p></blockquote> <p>That matters because the overall numbers are lopsided. An Urban Institute analysis of FEMA data, cited by the AP, found that about 84% of requests from states Trump won were approved in his second term, compared with about 42% from states Kamala Harris won. The analysis covered about 60 requests. Its author, Andrew Rumbach, said he had not concluded there was clear political bias and called for more openness from FEMA . Colorado did win approval on Sept. 4 for Public Assistance after this summer&#39;s Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain fires .</p> <p>In an interview published Nov. 1, Polis said he had not heard directly from Trump. He said that with this president, no one can be sure how requests will be handled . He has also described the process under this president as something of a mystery .</p> <h2>What comes next</h2> <p>State officials are visiting six counties to finish damage assessments. They haven&#39;t said when final figures will be ready . Inspections are still going on in Alamosa, Conejos, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, Ouray, San Juan and San Miguel counties, and more requests are expected .</p> <p>The pattern is worth watching. The current request would rebuild roads, sewers and parks. It would not repair a family&#39;s home. Homeowners without flood insurance would have to wait for a separate request for direct aid, which hasn&#39;t been filed, and then for the president to say yes .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/colorado-flood-towns-wait-on-trump-for-aid-as-polis-cites-last-year-s-denial">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/colorado-flood-towns-wait-on-trump-for-aid-as-polis-cites-last-year-s-denial.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

Copy the HTML Paste it into your editor's HTML view. The one-pixel image at the end tells our newsroom the story ran; it stores no reader data.

Sources

1. NPR, “Colorado flood victims hope for speedier federal help” (2026-11-12). npr.org/2026/11/12/nx-s1-6036811/colorado-flood-victims-hope
2. Office of Sen. John Hickenlooper, “Hickenlooper & Hurd Lead Colorado Congressional Delegation in Support of Major Presidential Disaster Request for Southwestern Colorado Flooding” (2026-11-04). hickenlooper.senate.gov/press_releases/hickenlooper-hurd-lea
3. Office of Sen. Michael Bennet, “Bennet, Hickenlooper, Hurd Join Colorado Congressional Delegation in Support of Major Presidential Disaster Request for Southwestern Colorado Flooding” (2026-11-05). bennet.senate.gov/2026/11/05/bennet-hickenlooper-hurd-join-c
4. The Pagosa Springs Sun, “Commissioners sign letter of support to president for emergency federal assistance” (2026-11-11). pagosasun.com/stories/untitled,159520
5. Denver7, “Gov. Polis requests major presidential disaster declaration for southwestern Colorado flood recovery” (2026-10-31). denver7.com/news/local-news/gov-polis-requests-major-preside
6. The Pagosa Springs Sun, “Governor requests major presidential disaster declaration” (2026-11-05). pagosasun.com/stories/governor-requests-major-presidential-d
7. KSUT / Four Corners Public Radio, “Gov. Polis requests $27 million in flood-recovery funding from the Trump administration” (2026-11-01). ksut.org/news/2026-11-01/gov-polis-requests-27-million-in-fl
8. KUNC, “Phil Weiser, Jeff Hurd slam Trump's denial of disaster funding for Colorado fire and flooding recovery” (2025-12-24). kunc.org/news/2025-12-24/phil-weiser-jeff-hurd-slam-trumps-d
9. AP (via KSAT), “Trump again rejects Colorado amid accusations of playing politics with disaster aid” (2026-04-14). ksat.com/news/politics/2026/04/14/trump-again-rejects-colora
10. PBS News, “Colorado Gov. Polis commutes ex-election clerk Tina Peters' sentence after Trump pressure” (2026-05-15). pbs.org/newshour/politics/colorado-gov-polis-commutes-ex-ele
11. Colorado Politics, “Colorado secures FEMA support for wildfire, flooding and mudslide recovery” (2026-09-04). coloradopolitics.com/2026/09/04/colorado-secures-fema-suppor

Found an error? Tell the newsroom. Corrections are noted at the top of the story.