President Donald Trump has approved federal disaster aid for Wisconsin and five other states and tribes following storms and floods that occurred this spring and summer.
The disaster declarations, announced Thursday, will allow federal funding to flow to Kansas, North Carolina, North Dakota and Wisconsin, and for tribes in Montana and South Dakota. In each case except Wisconsin, it took Trump more than a month to approve the aid requests from local officials, continuing a trend of longer waits for disaster relief noted by a recent Associated Press analysis.
Trump has now approved more than 30 major natural disaster declarations since taking office in January. Before the latest batch, his approvals had averaged a 34-day wait from the time the relief was requested. For his most recent declarations, that wait ranged from just 15 days following an aid request for Wisconsin flooding in August to 56 days following a tribal request for Montana flooding that occurred in May.
The AP's analysis showed that delays in approving federal disaster aid have grown over time, regardless of the party in power. On average, it took less than two weeks for requests for a presidential disaster declaration to be granted in the 1990s and early 2000s. That rose to about three weeks during the past decade under presidents from both major parties. During Trump's first term in office, it took him an average of 24 days to approve requests.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told the AP that Trump is providing “a more thorough review of disaster declaration requests than any Administration has before him” to make sure that federal tax dollars are spent wisely.
But delays mean individuals must wait to receive federal aid for daily living expenses, temporary lodging and home repairs. Delays in disaster declarations also can hamper recovery efforts by local officials uncertain whether they will receive federal reimbursement for cleaning up debris and rebuilding infrastructure.
Trump's latest declarations approved public assistance for local governments and nonprofits in all cases except Wisconsin, where assistance for individuals was approved. But that doesn't preclude the federal government from later also approving public assistance for Wisconsin.
How to apply for FEMA assistance in Wisconsin
According to FEMA, federal assistance is available for homeowners and renters in Milwaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties with damage or losses that are not covered by insurance.
The damage or losses must be caused by the Aug. 9 - 12 flooding and severe storms.
"Some types of FEMA assistance can include funds for temporary housing, home repairs and other disaster-related expenses like a damaged furnace, water heater, HVAC, vehicle repairs, moving and storage costs, medical and dental costs, childcare costs and furniture and appliance repair or replacement," FEMA said in a statement to WUWM.
To apply for FEMA assistance, go to disasterassistance.gov or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.
