Baldwin, House Reps call on federal government to provide FEMA aid for flooding damage

MILWAUKEE, Wis (CIVIC MEDIA) – In a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and U.S. Reps. Gwen Moore, D-4th District, and Bryan Steil, R-1st District, urged officials to support the state’s FEMA request after severe storms flooded southeast Wisconsin earlier this month.

On Aug. 11, Gov. Tony Evers declared a state of emergency across Wisconsin, deploying the state National Guard to assist Milwaukee County with recovery efforts. After officials with Wisconsin Emergency Management concluded that the damage sustained will meet the federal threshold to receive support, Evers requested federal aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The Wisconsin lawmakers requested that federal emergency management partners assist the state with assessing the damage to the impacted areas — an important step in the process of receiving federal aid.

“Last weekend, unprecedented storms struck Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, and Ozaukee Counties in a record rainfall that left thousands of homes without power and caused significant damage. We have been proud of the rapid response from Wisconsin’s law enforcement, emergency response teams, utility workers, and volunteers, who have been working diligently to respond to the needs of Wisconsin residents,” they wrote in a letter to Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. “Local and state officials are continuing to respond to the extensive damage caused by the storms as best they can, but they need FEMA’s assistance now. We urge you to act without delay.”

The full news release can be viewed at Sen. Baldwin’s website.