FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9-13-18
Contact: Aaron White, Phone: 202-225-5506 or [email protected]
Assistance for Wisconsin communities at risk of being delayed by Hurricane Florence
La Crosse – Today, U.S. Rep. Ron Kind called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Governor Scott Walker to expedite damage assessments and request a disaster declaration for Wisconsin communities impacted by recent flooding and severe storms. This comes as Hurricane Florence moves closer to hitting many East Coast states, potentially slowing the movement of recovery funds from FEMA and other departments with discretionary emergency funding.
“I’m calling on FEMA and the Governor to work with a sense of urgency in finishing damage assessments in Wisconsin, and to request a disaster declaration for Wisconsinites impacted by flooding,” said Rep. Ron Kind. “With a major hurricane moving closer to the East Coast, it’s important that we hurry to get our requests in or we could end up at the back of the line.”
Communities across La Crosse, Vernon, Crawford, Richland, Monroe, Juneau and Adams counties have faced multiple days of flash flooding, washouts, mudslides and extreme wind. Homes, farmland, businesses, and roads have been destroyed. Recent assessments reach $209 million of damage (and counting) in Wisconsin.
Immediately after the first round of storms and flooding, Rep. Kind and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin called on President Donald Trump to put the full support of the federal government behind cleanup and recovery efforts in Wisconsin, and requested additional assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for damage assessments, road and bridge repair assistance from the Department of Transportation (DOT), and farm and crop damage assistance from the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Rep. Kind’s office can help Wisconsinites work with federal agencies after flooding and severe weather. More information can be found by calling toll-free: 1-888-442-8040 or by visiting kind.house.gov.
Homeowners are also encouraged to report damage to homes and property by calling 211, or their county emergency management offices. Farmers should report all crop, livestock deaths, land, and building damage to their county’s Farm Service Agency as quickly as possible. A list of county Farm Service Agency offices can be found here, or below.
Read the letter to FEMA here.
Read the letter to Governor Scott Walker here.
