FEMA, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is coming to Southeast Wisconsin this week starting on Thursday, Aug. 21. Teams are looking into the destruction caused by the severe storms and flooding earlier this month.
FEMA representatives — along with state officials — will be interviewing homeowners, renters and business owners to get a picture of how extensive the damage is. It’s called a Preliminary Damage Assessment. Teams are expected to be here throughout the week. They ask that residents cooperate with interviews and property inspections.
After the assessments, the state will submit a damage report to FEMA. FEMA will then decide whether the state qualifies for federal assistance. If the state does qualify, President Donald Trump could then make a disaster declaration. Only then, could FEMA send help to individuals, businesses and communities impacted by the floods.
In the meantime, the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management has been doing its own damage assessment. As of Monday, the county had assessed more than 3,400 properties. More than half of the inspected properties were considered “destroyed” or having “major damage.” Milwaukee County estimates that the storms and flooding caused more than $34 million in damage throughout the Milwaukee area.
If your home or other property was affected by the severe weather, local officials encourage you to report it by calling 211. You can also fill out a damage report on the 211 website.
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