Wisconsin’s US Senators, House Reps endorse bipartisan letter requesting FEMA aid after Milwaukee County floods

MILWAUKEE, Wis (CIVIC MEDIA) – In a display of bipartisanship, Wisconsin’s congressional delegation has endorsed a letter Tuesday urging the federal government to support the state’s FEMA request after severe flooding impacted southeast Wisconsin earlier this month.

On Aug. 11, Gov. Tony Evers declared a state of emergency after historic rainfall flooded parts of Milwaukee County, completing the first step in the process in receiving federal aid. After Wisconsin Emergency Management officials concluded that the damage the affected area had sustained met the federal threshold, the governor requested assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

After U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D -Wis., and U.S. Reps. Bryan Steil, R-1st District, and Gwen Moore, D-4th District wrote U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem regarding federal aid, the entirety of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation has called upon FEMA Acting Administrator David Richardson to join state emergency management partners in evaluating the damage.

“Conducting a timely Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment is an essential first step in securing the federal support needed to help affected families, local governments, and communities recover and rebuild,” the state’s lawmakers wrote in the letter. “We understand that state officials are actively collecting and compiling detailed damage assessment information to FEMA. We urge FEMA to begin work in partnership with Wisconsin Emergency Management as soon as possible so that this process can move forward without delay.”

A federal assessment is the next phase in the process of receiving a disaster declaration. More information on how disasters get declared can be found on FEMA’s website.