Gov. Evers Requests Small Business Administration Rapid Disaster Declaration for Wisconsin Communities Affected by Severe Weather

“As severe weather continues to affect communities across Wisconsin, my administration and I are hard at work to ensure communities and small businesses have every opportunity to get the support they need, and to make sure the state prepares for and responds to any potential emergencies in the future,” said Gov. Evers. “I am grateful for WEM and the work of other state and federal partners for helping do this important work, and I continue to urge the president and the federal government to meet this moment and get Wisconsinites and our communities the support they need and deserve.”

Gov. Evers last month formally requested a disaster declaration from President Donald J. Trump in response to April’s severe storms and flooding that caused widespread destruction throughout the state of Wisconsin. Gov. Evers’ request includes 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. To date, President Trump has not responded, and a declaration has not been made.  

The governor’s latest request 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.   

Notably, Gov. Evers’ request comes as 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. 

A copy of the letter from Gov. Evers is available here.