GLOBE, AZ (AZFamily) — Arizona lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have sent a letter to President Donald Trump, urging him to swiftly approve Gov. Katie Hobbs’ request for a major disaster declaration for Gila and Mohave counties.

The move brings hope to communities like Globe, which are grappling with the aftermath of destructive and deadly floods in September and October.

Globe Mayor Al Gameros expressed his appreciation for the bipartisan effort.

“It’s amazing that letter was written in this shorter period of time,” Gameros said. “I’m glad that it’s a bipartisan letter. I’m glad that it’s urging the president to immediately sign this and not delay it, because it is important to our rural community.”

Included in the correspondence is a newly released damage assessment compiled by FEMA, the state, and local leaders.

The assessment of the two counties details significant destruction, including that 312 homes were damaged, with 64 destroyed, 89 suffering major damage, and 159 receiving minor damage. The total estimated loss in dollars is $33,579,081.

Gameros noted the challenges communities face in securing aid.

“We (other mayors) tried to learn, at the same time, learning what the complexity of filing for reimbursement,” he said.

He explained that while the state will reimburse towns up to 75% of costs, federal approval could mean up to 90% is paid back.

Now, Gameros is anxiously awaiting the Trump administration’s decision, hoping that if the disaster declaration is approved, the process won’t be slow.

“That would really put a hurt in our community as far as us being able to move forward,” he said.

In the meantime, he said they have restaurants open in Globe and urges Arizonans to pay them a visit.

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