Gov. Evers Requests Presidential Disaster Declaration

Debris picked up as part of the city’s post-flood bulky item pickup. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Gov. Tony Evers formally requested a Presidential Disaster Declaration Wednesday from President Donald Trump, following devastating flooding across Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.

The governor is asking for individual and public assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The governor included Milwaukee, Washington, and Waukesha Counties in his request for individual assistance; and Milwaukee, Door, Grant, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha Counties in his request for public assistance.

“Having been on the ground to see firsthand some of the areas that have been hit hardest by the disastrous storms and flash floods that have affected folks across our state, it’s clear it’s going to take a significant amount of time and resources to recover,” Evers said in a statement.

On Aug. 13, Evers submitted a formal request to FEMA Wednesday asking the agency to help the state conduct a Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA), which is required for a disaster declaration. FEMA teams have been on the ground since Aug. 21 verifying reported flood damage with the county’s Office of Emergency Management and Wisconsin Emergency Management.  The federal officials finished their assessment the next day.

The assessment confirmed there are at least 1,500 residential structures across Milwaukee, Washington and Waukesha Counties that were destroyed or sustained major damage, totaling $33 million in total damage. The state has also collected assessments indicating approximately $43 million in damage to public infrastructure across five counties, including Milwaukee. 

“Based on the early completion of the PDA, Wisconsin likely has surpassed the threshold to be eligible for federal support,” according to a statement from County Executive David Crowley‘s office.

The assessment was conducted quickly in part due to extensive local documentation of the damage, which allowed FEMA to assess properties before teams arrived in Milwaukee. Once on the ground, they surveyed hundreds of homes in Milwaukee and verified damages to 547 previously unassessed properties.

“Milwaukee County residents have shown incredible resilience in the face of this disaster,” Crowley said. “The completion of FEMA’s Preliminary Damage Assessment is an important milestone, but it’s just one step in the process toward federal assistance.”

During the storms, some areas of Milwaukee County experienced more than 14 inches of rainfall in less than 24 hours; more than 38,000 homes lost power for more than 10 hours. Major flooding inundated and damaged public infrastructure including roadways; sewers backed up; and homes were flooded. More than 1,5000 residents in the city of Milwaukee still need cleanup assistance, according to Evers’ letter to Trump.

The latest estimate for damage to public infrastructure in Milwaukee County put the damage north of $34 million, Crowley recently told reporters. But FEMA does not rely on the dollar-value of damage alone when making a disaster recommendation.

“Instead, the agency evaluates a wide range of factors to assess the severity and magnitude of the event and its impact on the affected communities,” according to Evers’ office. “The ultimate decision to approve or deny the request will rest with the president.”

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