Council Members Pitch Trump to Declare FEMA Emergency

Water-damaged debris on N. 19th Street. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Add the Milwaukee Common Council to the list of Wisconsin officials asking President Donald Trump and FEMA administrators to declare the Aug. 9-10 rainstorms a natural disaster and provide federal aid.

“The storm’s ferocity is well-documented—record rainfall turned neighborhoods into disaster
zones—but the human suffering demands our focus,” says a letter to the President signed by all 15 council members.

Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, who co-authored the letter with Ald. Mark Chambers, Jr., told Urban Milwaukee she hopes it serves as a “megaphone” for her constituents’ needs.

A federal disaster declaration would provide federal financial aid to residents and local governments responding to the flooding. The issue is viewed as particularly critical by Milwaukee officials because most homeowners don’t have flood insurance, and homeowners’ insurance policy riders often have limited payment amounts for other water damage.

“Imagine a northwest Milwaukee family losing every possession in hours, their basement a toxic swamp, or a south side resident watching contaminated water ruin irreplaceable heirlooms and essential appliances,” wrote Chambers and Dimitrijevic in describing their districts. “These are our neighbors: parents scrambling for temporary shelter, elders isolated without power, small business owners staring at ruined inventories. Compounding the agony, insurance denials are rampant— standard policies exclude floods, and even sewer backup riders fail, leaving most without recourse. Only 5% of homeowners nationwide carry flood insurance, and here, families believed protected now face rejection, relying on depleted savings or overburdened aid.”

In the city proper, the Department of Public Works (DPW) is continuing its policy of waiving fees at the drop-off centers. But the drop-off centers are back to their regular hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. after being extended to 6 p.m. last week.

“For residents who receive City garbage collection, DPW continues offering free special bulky item pickups for flood-damaged materials,” says an email from the department. “Crews are completing the first pass through neighborhoods and once that is finished, additional sweeps will be made to ensure full citywide coverage. We know that some residents have set out more items since our first visit while others may not have been ready when initial collections occurred. We will return to those areas.”

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin toured a damaged Milwaukee home with Mayor Cavalier Johnson, County Executive David Crowley and other officials last Friday and called for federal support. Wisconsin congressional representatives serving southeast Wisconsin — Gwen Moore, Bryan Steil and Scott Fitzgerald — have also called for a disaster declaration.

Gov. Tony Evers said he has requested FEMA perform a review. The FEMA assessment would be used to justify a disaster declaration.

Johnson, at an unrelated press conference Monday, said he doesn’t know exactly when FEMA officials will visit southeastern Wisconsin to survey the damage. He encouraged residents to continue to call 211 to report damage, as the data will be used to build the state’s case for disaster relief.

More than 17,000 damage reports have been filed. Milwaukee County estimates $23 million in damage to its property and related cleanup costs. The City of Milwaukee is recording all of its expenses, said DPW, pertaining to cleanup and repair. Several suburban communities, including West Allis, Wauwatosa and Menomonee Falls, also sustained substantial damage and flooding.

U.S. Ron Johnson has not signed onto any public call for disaster relief.

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