Presidents are taking longer to declare major natural disasters. For some, the wait is agonizing

As an ominous storm approached Buddy Anthony’s one-story brick home, he took shelter in his new Ford F-250 pickup truck parked underneath a nearby carport. Seconds later, a tornado tore apart Anthony's home and damaged the truck while lifting it partly in the air. Anthony emerged unhurt. But he had to replace his vehicle with a used truck that became his home—the spot where he slept for weeks while waiting for President Donald Trump to issue a major disaster declaration so that federal money would be freed for individuals reeling from loss. Disaster survivors such as Anthony are having to wait longer to get aid from the federal government, according to a new Associated Press (AP) analysis of decades of data. On average, it took less than two weeks for a governor's request for a presidential disaster declaration to be granted in the 1990s and early 2000s. That rose to about three weeks during the past decade under presidents from both major parties. It's taking more than a month, on average, during Trump's current term, the AP found. The delays mean individuals must wait to receive federal aid for daily living expenses, temporary lodging and home repairs. Delays in disaster declarations can also hamper recovery efforts by local officials who are uncertain whether they will receive federal reimbursement for cleaning up debris and rebuilding infrastructure. Mississippi’s governor requested a federal disaster declaration on April 1. Trump granted that request 50 days later, on May 21, while approving aid for both individuals and public entities. On that same day, Trump also approved eight other major disaster declarations for storms, floods or fires in seven other states. In most cases, more than a month had passed since the requests and about two months since the date of those disasters. “We couldn’t figure out why the president took so long to help people in this country,” said Jayess resident Dana Grimes. This article was provided by The Associated Press.