Governor Greg Gianforte announced on April 14 that President Donald J. Trump approved two Major Disaster Declarations for Montana, providing federal Public Assistance to help communities recover from severe flooding and windstorms that struck the state in December.
The approval allows federal funding to be distributed to eligible local governments, tribal nations, and certain private nonprofit organizations. This assistance will support emergency work and the repair or replacement of infrastructure damaged by the storms, including roads, bridges, rural electric cooperatives, water control facilities, and other critical community assets across designated counties.
“Many of Montana’s communities are still recovering from the damage left behind by December’s floods and strong winds,” Governor Gianforte said. “These federal disaster declarations will bring important support to help rebuild damaged roads and bridges, restore rural electric systems, and strengthen the infrastructure Montanans depend on every day. Thank you President Trump.”
In December 2025, Montana experienced sustained rainfall combined with warm temperatures that caused widespread flooding. The state was also hit by a long-duration wind event accompanied by a blizzard that led to extensive damage. Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments carried out by local officials along with Montana Disaster and Emergency Services (DES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confirmed significant losses to infrastructure exceeding thresholds required for federal aid.
After these assessments were completed, Governor Gianforte submitted requests for presidential major emergency declarations. With approval now granted, DES will coordinate with FEMA to implement the Public Assistance program and guide eligible applicants through recovery efforts.
