DENVER – Today, April 13, 2026, the State of Colorado was notified that the federal government has denied two appeals for Major Disaster Declarations. The first(opens in new window) is related to September’s Elk and Lee Fires in Rio Blanco County, the second(opens in new window) is in response to recovery efforts in La Plata, Archuleta, and Mineral Counties following the record-breaking Western Colorado Flooding that occurred last October. These federal decisions deny critical FEMA Public Assistance for impacted communities and Hazard Mitigation support statewide. Without federal assistance, these communities will have fewer resources to recover, they will have to make challenging decisions about how to balance expensive recovery costs with limited resources, will be at heightened risk of future disasters, and may not be able to perform the repairs to energy systems and river channels that would help them avoid future damage and disruption

“This is incredibly disappointing for Coloradans. Colorado communities have done everything right — responding quickly, documenting the damage, and working in good faith with federal partners — only for the Trump administration to deny funding to help Colorado communities recover. These disasters caused real damage to homes, infrastructure, and local economies, and Coloradans should not be left to shoulder these costs alone. We will continue supporting impacted communities and exploring every available path forward, but the federal government must be a reliable partner in disaster recovery,” said Governor Jared Polis

“It is frustrating that for the first time in 35 years, the State of Colorado has been denied federal assistance as part of a major disaster declaration request. Our damage assessments documented and showed that each of the disasters exceeded the federal thresholds for assistance. Our State Recovery Task Force will continue to work on alternatives to fill the gap, but providing substantial relief to the disaster survivors becomes much more difficult with this decision. I don't want it to sound like we can just fill all the gaps - we can't, but of course we will do our best to support them,” said Kevin Klein, Director of the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

The Elk and Lee Fires burned from August 2–29, 2025, followed by historic flooding in Western Colorado from October 10–14, 2025. Governor Polis formally requested Major Disaster Declarations for both events in September(opens in new window) and November(opens in new window) 2025. The federal government denied(opens in new window) both requests in December 2025, and the State submitted formal appeals in January(opens in new window). These latest decisions represent the final denial of those appeals, leaving impacted communities without federal recovery support

The Elk and Lee Fires burned more than 137,000 acres and caused over $27 million in damages jointly verified by FEMA, the State, and the impacted local governments, including significant impacts to energy infrastructure critical to Rio Blanco County’s economy. Subsequent flooding and mudslides further compounded damage to roads, bridges, and public systems. In Southwest Colorado, historic flooding in October 2025 caused more than $13 million in jointly verified damages to infrastructure, including the destruction of over 60 miles of road, major impacts to water and wastewater systems, and long-term risks to communities along the San Juan River basin

While federal assistance has been denied, the State of Colorado invested over $57.5 million in these and other disasters since July 2024 and will continue working with local partners to support rebuilding and reduce long-term risks to communities across Colorado.