County Can’t Afford Disaster Recovery

One example of at least $22 million in damaged public infrastructure that FEMA won’t fund.

Milwaukee County policymakers were already facing a difficult budget season, then word came down from the federal government that the county would not receive federal assistance repairing public infrastructure damaged by flooding in August.

Milwaukee County was hard hit by the once-in-1,000-year rainstorm that caused flooding throughout southeastern Wisconsin. The price tag for public and private infrastructure is already well above $100 million.

Milwaukee County is already making cuts across the government in 2026 to close the gap on a projected $46.7 million budget deficit. The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) and Behavioral Health Services are both seeing significant service cuts. Even before the floods, the county had a backlog of maintenance and infrastructure needs projected at roughly $1 billion, with half of it in the Milwaukee County Parks system.

“But when it comes down to this particular issue, when it comes down to this natural disaster, we just can’t simply afford to put all of our county dollars towards this,” Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said during a press conference Friday. 

The preliminary damage assessment conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recorded an estimated $22 million in damage to public infrastructure like roads, bridges and government buildings. But in all likelihood, the cost will be much higher, Crowley said. The county was originally estimating public infrastructure damage above $30 million.

When damage for individuals and private residences was approved and paid out, it eclipsed the initial assessment figure. FEMA recorded an estimated $39 million in private damage, but has since paid out $123 million to county residents, Crowley said.

The parks system has struggled to keep up with infrastructure needs for more than decades. The department submitted roughly $1 million for damage to golf courses and parks buildings, damaged trees and erosion, Guy Smith, Milwaukee County Parks director, told Urban Milwaukee.

“It’s one of those things where it’s not like we have the dollars to do it,” Smith said.

Gov. Tony Evers‘ administration learned Thursday that FEMA was denying Wisconsin public disaster assistance. On Friday, Milwaukee County Supervisors convened the Committee on Finance to work through a long list of proposed amendments to the 2026 budget, including attempts to find funding for bus service or parks projects that the Crowley administration did not include in its budget recommendation.

“We are already debating a very difficult budget, and we’re going to be making some really tough decisions as it relates to our own programs and services,” Crowley said. “And so there’s no way Milwaukee County and, quite frankly, I don’t think any county across the state that have been impacted by these floods, will be able to recover on their own.”

Crowley reiterated that the floods were not only a Milwaukee issue. The state application for public assistance also included Door, Grant, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties.

“We are already dealing with a deferred maintenance backlog close to a billion dollars here within Milwaukee County because of the decisions that past leaders have made, we are trying to pick up every expensive can that has been kicked down the road,” Crowley said. “But this is absolutely going to set us back if Milwaukee County has to do this on its own.”

The denial for Wisconsin came amid a mixed-bag of disaster declarations by President Donald Trump, approving federal assistance for some states and not for others. Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth charged Trump was playing “political games” with disaster relief Friday after their state was denied disaster relief. On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump boasted of awarding individual assistance to Missouri: “I won ‘The Show Me State three times in 2016, 2020, and 2024,” he declared, “and it is my Honor to deliver for these incredible Patriots!”

Asked Friday whether the decision seemed political, Crowley wondered aloud whether this was a move to make local governments look like they’re not working, though, he added, “I am not sure.”

The county executive, who has a record of working across the aisle with Republicans in the state Legislature to secure funding for county government, reiterated his frequent call for partnership.

“It doesn’t matter if you like my policies or not,” Crowley said. “It is our job to deliver for the people that we represent, and that is my hope with anybody who is in office, from a city alderman to the President of the United States.”