Washington state could soon be responsible for a bigger share of disaster relief response, a possibility state officials have spent months preparing for.

Mayor Bowser reopened Washington D.C.'s upgraded Public Safety Communications Center, which saw an $18.5 million renovation to improve emergency response capabilities.

Sen. Murray’s office suggested the change stems from President Trump’s push for more centralized control of FEMA operations.

Reuters reported yesterday that acting FEMA head David Richardson suggested during a meeting with employees that he was unaware of the very existence of a hurricane season. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security dismissed the report: “Despite meanspirited attempts to falsely frame a joke as policy,

The Washington State Department of Ecology declared a large portion of Pierce County under drought emergency at a press conference Thursday, although Tacoma was spared.

On Thursday, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) expanded its drought emergency declaration for 19 watersheds across the North and Central Cascades and parts of the Puget Sound region, including in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties. Ecology already issued a drought declaration for Yakima Basin watersheds in April.

Washington's drought emergency now includes more counties amid rapid snowmelt and low spring precipitation, threatening farms and fish water supply.