Trump Administration Denies More Disaster Aid for Wisconsin

A Department of Public Works vehicle blocks traffic into the flooded Menomonee Valley on Aug. 10. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

President Donald Trump‘s administration has, again, denied Wisconsin funding assistance in the wake of the devastating August floods.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) denied an application Tuesday for funding under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which Milwaukee and other impacted areas would use to rebuild infrastructure that mitigates, or prevents, damage and loss from future natural disasters. The denial comes on the heels of the administration’s decision not to provide local governments in Wisconsin with funding to rebuild public infrastructure, like roads and bridges.

“Talk about adding insult to injury,” Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement. “Not only did the Trump Administration deny our request for public assistance to help several communities rebuild and recover after severe weather caused over $26.5 million in damages to public infrastructure, but now, they’ve also denied our request for funding to help prevent this sort of devastation from happening again in the future.”

Over a 14-hour period in early August, a once-in-1,000-years storm dropped as much as 15 inches of rain in some areas of Milwaukee. The epic floods caused more than $120 million in damage to private homes and more than $22 million in damage to public infrastructure in Milwaukee County alone. Other counties, including Door, Grant, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha, also sustained damage.

In late August, Evers sought a presidential disaster declaration. Federal funding to rebuild public infrastructure and hazard mitigation grants were both denied, while federal assistance for individuals was approved.

Hazard mitigation grants have helped Milwaukee County communities respond to past flooding. After severe flooding in the 1990s, the City of Wauwatosa used hazard mitigation grants to buy up 23 flood-damaged homes and demolish them, according to the governor’s office. The land was combined with other parcels to create Hart Park. In August, the park was the site of some of the worst flooding in Wauwatosa, but homes that would have been wrecked by floodwater had long since been removed.

Evers is appealing the federal government’s denial of public infrastructure assistance and hazard mitigation grants. County residents still have until Nov. 12 to apply for individual assistance.

As of Oct. 24, FEMA has provided $123 million in assistance payments to Milwaukee County residents, according to County Executive David Crowley.