Gov. Evers Requests FEMA Support to Assess and Respond to April Storm Damage in Wisconsin

The governor’s latest request for federal support for Wisconsin comes as President Donald J. Trump and his administration have still failed to justify their denial of federal 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, despite the governor’s multiple attempts imploring the Trump Administration to reverse its decision. That’s why, following this month’s severe weather, Gov. Evers sent a letter to members of Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation, imploring 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.

Notably, Gov. Evers’ request comes as, recent reporting indicates that it is three times harder for blue states to get disaster funding under the Trump Administration than red states, with the Trump Administration rejecting disaster aid for Democratic-led states at the highest rate in the history of FEMA.

“I have seen firsthand the devastation caused by our April storms and the uncertainty that is impacting families, communities, and local governments across Wisconsin,” said Gov. Evers. “Wisconsin is still recovering from last year’s historic record-breaking flooding, and while we continue to ensure we are prepared for any future severe weather, we need FEMA’s support in this process to begin and continue to support our communities during the long process of recovery. This is more than just rebuilding structures lost or damaged by tornadoes and flooding, it’s about restoring hope and stability to everyone affected.”

The formal joint preliminary damage assessment (PDA) is a crucial step towards Wisconsin submitting a formal disaster declaration request to President Trump. During this process, FEMA will work with both the state and local government to conduct a thorough assessment of the impacted area to determine the extent of the disaster, the impact on individual homeowners and renters as well as public facilities, and the types of federal assistance that may be needed.

To expedite the process, FEMA will review much of the damage information virtually and conduct on-site damage assessments only as needed. Dates and locations where FEMA will conduct on-site assessments have not yet been determined.

Once the PDA is completed, the next step would be for Gov. Evers to submit a formal request for a major disaster declaration. A major disaster declaration must be approved by the president and determines which, if any, types of federal assistance will be provided. Additional information on how the disaster declaration process works can be found on FEMA’s website.

Gov. Evers declared a state of emergency on April 15 due to the severe storms, and that same day, the governor traveled to Union Center in Juneau County to see firsthand some of the damage caused. As storms continued throughout the rest of the week and weekend, Gov. Evers visited several more communities impacted by the storm damage, including Janesville, Shiocton, and Ringle, which experienced considerable destruction due to an EF3 tornado. Additionally, the Evers Administration and WEM have fulfilled requests for state aid and assistance from local county emergency management, including making National Guard resources available. The governor also visited soldiers supporting flood response efforts in Columbia and Rock Counties.

The Evers Administration, including WEM, continues to work with local and Tribal emergency management offices across the state to assess damage and provide resources needed to speed recovery efforts. Wisconsinites are also encouraged to report storm and flooding damage by calling 2-1-1 or online at 211 Wisconsin’s disaster report page. Additional information from WEM regarding storm damage response is attached in this FAQ.