Feds won’t assist Arizona with Greenlee County flooding costs

Arizona won’t receive federal assistance to support flood recovery efforts in Greenlee County, the state said Friday.

The Eastern Arizona county was hit by between six and eight inches of rain — nearly half of its annual average — between Sept. 13 and 17, causing considerable flooding and significant damage to roadways and infrastructure, according to a release from the state. Gov. Jan Brewer issued a state declaration of emergency in September, making state resources available to assist the area.

The state didn’t say how much money it has spent as a result of the floods, though Brewer said in a statement that a damage assessment “concluded that the scope and severity of the storm impact exceeded the state’s repair and recovery capabilities.”

“I am frustrated, though not altogether surprised, that the federal government has again refused to help when Arizonans are in need,” Brewer said. “It’s been a regrettable yet predictable pattern of President Obama’s administration to withhold necessary and appropriate assistance to our state and its citizens.”