U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern is blasting the Biden administration for denying Gov. Maura Healey’s request for a major disaster declaration in Bay State communities hit hard by “devastating floods” last September.

McGovern, whose district includes Leominster, one of the cities and towns flooded out by the devastating flooding, voiced his frustration over the rejection from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a statement Wednesday.

“FEMA’s recommendation to deny disaster relief for the City of Leominster is unacceptable and unconscionable,” McGovern said. “I was on-the-ground after the flooding, and it was a disaster in every sense of the word. Families and small business owners showed me how they lost everything. Homes were completely leveled, cars were washed away, and kids were forced to learn in classrooms that were packed with water and mud only days before.”

McGovern made his stance known a day after Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella vowed to continue fighting for the declaration alongside the Healey administration. Mazzarella called the decision from the feds “almost unbelievable.”

Healey is planning to appeal the decision, while the governor is directing her administration to “quickly” distribute $5 million in flood relief funding that’s included in a spending bill she signed in December.

Leominster officials and representatives worked with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency for three months following the storm, compiling information that showed how the floods caused $35 million in city damage, affecting 1,400 homes and businesses, Mazzarella highlighted in a memo Tuesday.

Healey submitted the request for the disaster declaration in December, with the governor looking to receive federal assistance for individuals and public infrastructure for affected communities via a FEMA-run program. MEMA works with federal counterparts to assess potentially reimbursable damages caused by or related to a disaster.

Hazard mitigation assistance, which provides dollars to reduce disaster losses, is also made available.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell sent a letter to Healey on Sunday, alerting the governor that her request for a major disaster declaration had been denied.

The September storms forced evacuations, water rescues, and the construction of temporary roadways so first responders and residents could access homes, but Criswell found  “the damage from this event was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state, affected local governments, and voluntary agencies.”

Attleboro, North Attleboro, Lancaster, Princeton, Springfield and Sterling also received support from MEMA during their recovery.

In his statement, McGovern said he’s been in contact with the White House, Healey’s administration, and Mazzarella, adding “President Biden must overturn this irresponsible recommendation.”

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey is echoing McGovern’s frustration.

“Leominster, Springfield, North Attleboro, and impacted communities across the Commonwealth have been resilient in the face of hardship,” he said in a statement to the Herald, “but are in desperate need of relief—relief that requires federal assistance.”