Facebook post says major disaster declaration requested from Trump

A Facebook post said, “I’ve requested a Major Disaster Declaration from President Donald J. Trump.” The post did not provide additional details about who made the request, the location affected or the nature of the damage.

A major disaster declaration is a formal request to the president that can unlock federal funding and resources to support recovery after severe storms, floods, wildfires or other large-scale emergencies. Such declarations are typically made under the Stafford Act and, if approved, direct assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Requests for a declaration usually begin with a governor, tribal leader or territorial chief executive asking the president for federal aid. FEMA often conducts preliminary damage assessments to help the administration determine whether the scale of damage warrants a declaration and what forms of assistance may be needed.

The Facebook post did not specify what federal assistance is being sought or when a decision might be expected. We will provide more information as it becomes available.