MADISON – Governor Scott Walker requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conduct preliminary damage assessments next week in three southeast Wisconsin counties hit hard by flooding earlier this month. FEMA officials will begin looking at flood-damaged homes and public infrastructure in Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth Counties.
“These floods have devastated so many families in southeast Wisconsin,” Governor Walker said. “Our first responders, emergency managers, volunteers, and local officials have been working tirelessly to help those impacted by the flood waters. I look forward to having FEMA in our state to assess damages as we look towards possibly requesting federal disaster assistance.”
Overnight on July 11, 2017, more than eight inches of rain fell in southeast Wisconsin, flooding thousands of homes and businesses, closing major roads and bridges, damaging dams and other infrastructure, and causing the Fox River to rise to a record flood stage in Burlington and New Munster. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.
Local damage assessments from three counties show three homes destroyed, 92 homes with major damage, and more than 4,000 with minor damage. In addition, ten businesses sustained major flood damage and 26 reported minor damage. Flooding also caused more than $8.4 million in damage to public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and dams, and emergency protective measures.
Teams comprised of officials with FEMA and Wisconsin Emergency Management will work with local and state officials in viewing both residential and public infrastructure damage.
Governor Walker continues to be updated about the cleanup and recovery efforts in southwest and west central Wisconsin. Those areas were hit by flooding last week. Damage assessments are just beginning in some of those communities and a decision will be made soon on the next step for assistance.
