On February 21, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reported that U.S. President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in the District of Columbia. The reason for this was severe pollution of the Potomac River with sewage caused by the collapse of a sewer pipe.
In the FEMA announcement, it was emphasized that the emergency measures are aimed at improving the response to the consequences of the accident that occurred on January 19, 2026, which continues to negatively affect the region. The President ordered FEMA to coordinate federal assistance and the mitigation of the situation, with the responsibilities of the operations coordinator assigned to Mark O'Hanlon, an agency employee.
Earlier, on social media, Trump raised the issue of a serious environmental problem that arose from a sewer line break in Maryland, resulting in several million gallons of untreated sewage being discharged into the river. He also noted that there is a sharp unpleasant odor in the metropolitan area.
The President accused the Maryland authorities of insufficient oversight of the drainage systems and emphasized the need for a major overhaul of the water infrastructure in the region.
The Potomac River, approximately 652 kilometers long, flows through the states of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, and on its banks lies the capital of the United States — Washington.
