Gov. Evers Appeals Trump Administration’s Decision to Deny Federal Disaster Relief, Fights for Communities to Get the Support They Need to Rebuild and Recover
Gov. Evers appeals Trump Administration’s denial of public disaster assistance for Racine County and statewide hazard mitigation relief following severe storms and flooding in April of this year
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today announced that Wisconsin is filing an appeal to ensure affected communities receive the federal disaster aid they need to rebuild and recover after severe storms and flooding caused significant damage to public infrastructure in April. This comes as, earlier this summer, Gov. Evers slammed the Trump Administration for playing politics with federal disaster aid by denying Wisconsin’s application for FEMA Public Assistance for Bayfield, Manitowoc, Marathon, Racine, and, later, Sauk Counties and Hazard Mitigation statewide after severe storms and flooding April 13-23 that caused millions of dollars in damages to homes, businesses, and public infrastructure throughout the state.
In response to the denials, Gov. Evers directed Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) to gather additional information and assessments to file an appeal. While four of the five counties determined they did not require additional Public Assistance at this time, the needs in Racine County remain, with damage reported across multiple public assets and two major roadway sections sinking or warping from failing culverts. Today, Gov. Evers submitted the state’s appeal for Public Assistance for Racine County and Hazard Mitigation statewide.
“From destroyed roads to flood-damaged public buildings, utilities, businesses, and homes, Wisconsinites have been left in the lurch—again—by the Trump Administration’s baseless denial of FEMA assistance, which, at a time when our state is seeing more severe weather events than ever, is becoming a concerning pattern,” said Gov. Evers. “Too many of our communities are still working to rebuild months after these severe weather events, with local governments, emergency responders, and neighbors working countless hours to ensure their communities can get back to working order—but the costs of these damages far exceed our local and state resources. The Trump Administration must reverse their decision, and as governor, I will continue to use every tool at my disposal to get these communities the federal aid they need to rebuild and recover, and in the meantime, we will continue to do what we can to support our local partners in their recovery efforts.”
Notably, the governor’s appeal comes as President Trump and the Trump Administration have repeatedly come under fire for slashing funding for emergency preparedness and response at FEMA while also prioritizing Republican-run states to receive disaster relief. Recent reporting indicates that it is three times harder for Democratic-led states to get disaster funding under the Trump Administration than Republican-led states, with the Trump Administration rejecting disaster aid for Democratic-led states at the highest rate in the history of FEMA.
The governor has been steadfast in his efforts to ensure the communities impacted by these severe weather events have the support and resources they need. On April 15, Gov. Evers declared a state of emergency in response to the severe weather across Wisconsin. Following this declaration, the first step needed to receive federal disaster aid and assistance, the governor announced he directed WEM to submit a request for FEMA to assist the state in conducting a formal federal preliminary damage assessment of damage caused by recent extreme storms and flooding across the state. After assessments of more than 1,570 residential properties, WEM and FEMA determined that the total damage costs of those properties were estimated at more than $9.8 million. The joint preliminary damage assessment for Public Assistance found more than $17.6 million in public sector damage.
On May 22, Gov. Evers announced he formally requested a disaster declaration from President Trump, which included FEMA’s Individual Assistance for affected residents and families in 19 counties and one Tribal Nation, FEMA’s Public Assistance for emergency work and infrastructure repairs in 14 counties and one Tribal Nation, and FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to help reduce the impact of future disasters for the entire state.
In a letter sent to the governor dated July 8, 2026, FEMA said the impact to infrastructure in these communities, in addition to the governor’s statewide request for Hazard Mitigation funding, apparently “is not of the severity and magnitude to warrant their designation for Public Assistance.” Counties that received Public Assistance include Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kewaunee, Outagamie, Rock, Vernon, and Waupaca Counties, and the Oneida Nation. Counties that were denied include Bayfield, Manitowoc, Marathon, Racine, and, later, Sauk Counties.
The governor’s latest appeal for federal support for Wisconsin comes as President Trump and his administration have still failed to justify their denial of federal Public Assistance to help communities respond to and recover from similar severe weather and flooding that occurred across the state last summer, causing over $27 million in damages to roads, public buildings, utilities, and community infrastructure despite the governor’s multiple attempts imploring the Trump Administration to reverse its decision. That’s why, following April’s severe weather, Gov. Evers sent a letter to members of Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation, urging lawmakers to stand up for Wisconsin communities, underscoring that public and persistent efforts to help advocate for Wisconsin to receive assistance from federal partners, including President Trump, will be key to securing the disaster aid needed.
The Public Assistance program provides supplemental grants to state, local, and tribal governments as well as certain types of private nonprofits to recover from major disasters or emergencies. The grants may provide funding for:
- Restoration of damaged public buildings and equipment, such as public schools, hospitals, and facilities providing community services;
- Restoration of roads and bridges;
- Debris removal from obstructed public roadways and infrastructure;
- Repair of damaged or impacted public utilities and water system.
The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides funding to help state and local governments implement projects aimed at reducing the risks and impacts of future disasters and is only made possible following a presidentially declared disaster. This includes critical funds to bring damaged homes that would otherwise not be allowed to be repaired into compliance with local floodplain ordinances, which will allow homeowners to complete necessary repairs.
FEMA’s decision to deny the Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation grants limits support for certain public infrastructure and community-level projects but did not affect homeowners or renters who may have qualified for federal assistance through the Individual Assistance program. More information on this program is available on WEM’s website.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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