FEMA Denies Disaster Relief To Six Wisconsin Counties After Historic Floods

In the aftermath of historic flooding in August, six Wisconsin counties including Milwaukee, Waukesha, and Door faced significant public infrastructure damage estimated at over $26 million. Despite the extensive harm to roads, bridges, parks, and public buildings, the Trump administration, through FEMA, denied requests for additional federal disaster assistance for public infrastructure repairs, a decision described as "extremely disappointing" by Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. While federal aid for individual home repairs exceeding $123 million has been approved, the denial of public assistance funding has prompted Governor Tony Evers to plan an appeal, criticizing the administration for leaving communities to manage costly recovery efforts alone. Preliminary damage assessments by federal, state, and local officials confirmed the severity of the damage, yet FEMA concluded that public assistance was not warranted. Local and state leaders expressed frustration, emphasizing that the denial delays recovery and impacts public health and safety, as well as the quality of life for residents.