Arizona mayor ‘optimistic’ about appeal after FEMA rejected disaster aid for flood damage

PHOENIX – The mayor of an Arizona city that was ravaged by flooding last year is still hoping to get federal disaster aid after a previous request was rejected.

“We have had several visits from federal and state representatives to Globe to get more information and look at the area. So, we’re optimistic,” Globe Mayor Al Gameros told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Wednesday.

“We feel that’s encouraging that we’re getting these visits after the appeal was submitted.”

In late September 2025, destructive monsoon storms flooded Globe and neighboring Miami in Gila County. Three people were killed when the area received 2.5 inches of rain in a 24-hour period.

Soon after, Gov. Katie Hobbs declared a state of emergency, triggering the release of state funds, and also requested disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for recovery efforts in Gila and Mohave counties.

Why did FEMA reject Arizona disaster aid request?

In December, FEMA determined that the damages “did not exceed state and local capacity” and rejected the state’s disaster assistance request.

Gameros said the initial state request used $36 million as the total for damages, but completed assessments found the actual damages to be much higher. The final total for just Globe, without the other impacted areas, came to $96 million, the mayor said.

“We have about a half a dozen businesses downtown that are still fenced off. They’re going to need further evaluation and mitigation to their structure,” he said. “We have a residential area where some homes — people just walked away from them at this point. There’s some that have recovered, but there’s some that are too far gone to recover.”

Additionally, Gameros said temporary Pinal Creek shoreline repairs were done, but more work is needed — and soon — to mitigate future flood risks.

“Our first priority project is going to be taking sediment out of the creek,” he said.

Disaster designation would save Globe millions of dollars

A U.S. Department of Agriculture program provided $24 million for the project, but there’s a deadline.

“We only have 220 days to get this project done. Those are the stipulations. So, we’ve got to test the soil. We’ve got to remove the soil, find a place where it goes. We’ve got to hire somebody. It needs to be engineered,” he said.

Globe is operating during the current fiscal year on a $57 million budget that was adopted last July. Without federal disaster aid, the city’s share of the Pinal Creek project is $5.5 million.

“If we were to get the federal designation, it would drop that cost to $2.1 million to the city,” Gameros explained.

The mayor said there is no time frame for when FEMA can rule on the state’s appeal.

“Hopefully it’s soon,” he said.

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