Coalition presses for stronger federal flood response, eyes ROAD to Housing Act

A new multi-state coalition is warning that worsening floods across Appalachia — and the federal government’s uneven response — are heightening risks for communities, infrastructure and real estate markets across the region.

The Appalachian Flood Resilience Coalition recently convened for the first time to examine Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding fights, stalled mitigation programs and the need for more reliable flood data to guide land-use and housing decisions, Ohio Capital Journal reported.

Brendan Muckian-Bates of the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center said he coalition formed after the catastrophic July 2022 floods in eastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia.

“They were becoming more frequent, deadlier, and the communities where we live and work were really underprepared for the increased devastation that we were witnessing first-hand,” he told Ohio Capital Journal.

FEMA appropriations uncertain

Despite rising needs, federal relief remains up in the air in many cases.

Jessica Arriens of the National Wildlife Federation noted that FY 2026 flood-related appropriations did not experience the drastic cuts previously proposed — and said a $500,000 allocation for the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative appeared in a House bill.

“Certainly a lot lower than our request, but if that does pass, it would be the first time that (the initiative) ever got federal funding, so we’d love to see it higher because that program’s really impactful, but we’ll certainly take what we can get,” Arriens said.“It doesn’t necessarily matter how much gets appropriated if President Trump and cabinet secretaries won’t allow federal agencies like FEMA to spend the money that’s appropriated.”

Kevin Zedak of Appalachian Voices said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has already blocked more than $100,000 in FEMA funding.

“We’ve seen this impacting community projects directly, holding up that funding from approval,” he said. “So this has been a big hurdle in communities accessing that funding, whether it’s hazard mitigation assistance that was previously distributed, or public assistance.”

He added that FEMA leaders rescinded $882 million from the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, worsening local delays.

In September, the Government Accountability Office ruled that FEMA broke the law by blocking or delaying aid money that Congress had already approved, including funds for programs that provide shelter and food.

FEMA reform, ROAD to Housing Act could streamline recovery

The U.S. House’s FEMA Act of 2025 would create a universal disaster assistance application and shift public assistance from reimbursement to grants.

The bill would also expedite decisions regarding assistance eligibility, according to Rebecca Shelton, director of policy for the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center.

“[In applying for FEMA assistance] there’s often multiple rounds of rejections from FEMA and appeals from households, and it’s long and drawn out and challenging, and it’s not very transparent,” Shelton said.

Shelton said the ROAD to Housing Act — now under U.S. House review after unanimous Senate passage — includes a provision to permanently authorize disaster recovery grants.

The provision passed a Senate committee and was added to that chamber’s defense bill, but it was left out of the House version, she added.