Idaho disaster declaration opens federal recovery pathway for six counties after March storm damage

President Donald Trump approved Idaho’s major disaster declaration on July 2, opening a federal recovery-assistance pathway for eligible government departments and certain private nonprofit organizations in six counties damaged during severe March storms.

The declaration applies to Benewah, Bonner, Clearwater, Kootenai, Latah and Nez Perce counties. It authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance program for eligible applicants connected to the storm event, according to the Idaho Office of Emergency Management.

The federal action is limited to the six named counties and the applicant types identified in the state notice. The notice describes Public Assistance for eligible public and certain nonprofit applicants; it does not describe direct household cash assistance.

Storms struck March 11 through March 15

The declaration follows a storm period from March 11 through March 15, 2026. The Idaho Office of Emergency Management said the event brought damaging winds, intense rainfall, flooding, landslides and debris flows to the affected area.

Reported wind gusts ranged from 58 mph to 99 mph. Those weather conditions are part of the documented storm event behind the declaration, rather than a separate or future weather forecast.

A joint preliminary damage assessment by FEMA, the Idaho Office of Emergency Management and local representatives found damage exceeding $5.9 million. That figure is an assessed damage total from the preliminary review, not a total of federal aid awarded.

The approved information does not break out the assessed damage by county, agency, type of damage or project. It also does not identify a final federal award amount for the declaration.

Six counties are included

Benewah, Bonner, Clearwater, Kootenai, Latah and Nez Perce are the six counties included in the declaration. The state notice specifically identifies those counties as covered by the federal action.

For eligible government departments and qualifying private nonprofit organizations within those counties, the declaration creates an opportunity to request FEMA Public Assistance associated with the March storm damage. The announcement does not establish that every applicant will receive aid or that every requested cost will be approved.

The geographic scope also matters because the state notice names six counties rather than describing statewide coverage. The approved source packet does not support a conclusion that all Idaho storm damage was covered by this declaration.

Public Assistance request deadline was July 30

The Idaho Office of Emergency Management said requests for Public Assistance had to be submitted by July 30, 2026. The deadline came after the July 2 declaration and was the next stated step for eligible applicants seeking to enter the assistance process.

The source packet, created after that deadline, does not report how many requests were submitted. It also does not say whether FEMA approved specific projects, how much assistance was awarded, or how much of the more than $5.9 million in preliminary assessed damage could ultimately be eligible for federal support.

As a result, the confirmed development is the opening of the Public Assistance process for eligible public agencies and certain private nonprofits in the six designated counties. The available state information does not provide a final accounting of applications, approvals or payments.

The declaration links the March 11-15 storm damage to a formal federal recovery program. Its practical scope, based on the state’s announcement, is recovery assistance for eligible public and qualifying nonprofit applicants in Benewah, Bonner, Clearwater, Kootenai, Latah and Nez Perce counties.

Sources

• President Trump Approves Disaster Declaration for Idaho, Idaho Office of Emergency Management