Wis. Gov. Requests Federal Damage Assessment for Eight Counties

Governor Jim Doyle has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct a preliminary damage assessment in cooperation with Wisconsin Emergency Management and local officials as a first step to determine if Wisconsin will request federal disaster relief for communities hit hard from recent flooding and severe storms.

“Many families have been hard hit by these record rainfalls, and we want to make sure they get all the assistance that is available to them,” Governor Doyle said. “I urge the federal government to respond to this request as quickly as possible.”

Governor Doyle requested federal damage assessments be conducted at Columbia, Crawford, Fond du Lac, Grant, Kenosha, Jefferson, Ozaukee, and Vernon Counties. It has taken several days for the flood waters to recede. “The damage assessment will allow us to determine exactly what damage would be eligible under a federal disaster declaration,” he noted.

In the last few weeks, record rainfall has caused several rivers and creeks in southern Wisconsin to go over their banks, hundreds of residents have reported flood damage to their homes and businesses, and numerous roads and bridges have been closed due to flooding.

Local officials have been unable to provide accurate damage estimates until recently when the floodwaters have receded.