Office of Governor Tony Evers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 9, 2026
Contact: [email protected] 
 
Gov. Evers Slams Trump Administration for Again Denying Federal Disaster Request for Wisconsin Communities Impacted by August Severe Weather
Trump Administration refuses to provide explanation or justification as to why Wisconsin’s request for FEMA assistance was again denied
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today slammed the Trump Administration for once again denying Wisconsin’s application for Public Assistance for Door, Grant, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha counties after severe storms and flooding caused significant damage to public infrastructure in August 2025. This latest denial comes as in November 2025, the Evers Administration appealed the Trump Administration’s initial decision, citing the need to support communities in their efforts to rebuild, recover, and address more than $26.5 million in disaster costs caused by the extreme storms and flooding seen across the state. FEMA’s letter to the governor, issuing their latest denial without any explanation or justification as to why they rejected Wisconsin’s request, is available here. 

Gov. Evers today renewed his call for the Trump Administration to reverse its decision and ensure Wisconsin receives the FEMA assistance the state has requested and needs to rebuild and recover following severe weather late last summer.

“This most recent decision by the Trump Administration is completely unsatisfactory. The Trump Administration’s decision to reject our appeal—again—and without any explanation as to why Wisconsin’s request for FEMA assistance has once again been denied is ridiculous. The Trump Administration must reverse their decision,” said Gov. Evers. “Wisconsinites have been hard at work to build back from these historic flooding events, but folks are not out of the woods yet. Efforts to rebuild will cost tens of millions of taxpayer dollars that local communities will be on the hook for, and it’s really disappointing to see our federal leadership turn their backs on Wisconsin, our families, and our communities in our time of need. We will continue to advocate to the Trump Administration and our federal partners that Wisconsin needs these resources to rebuild and recover, and we will continue to do what we can to support our local partners however we can in the meantime.”

The governor has been steadfast in his efforts to ensure communities impacted by severe weather events have the support and resources they need. On Aug. 11, Gov. Evers declared a state of emergency in response to the severe weather across Wisconsin that occurred over the previous weekend. Following this declaration, the first step needed to receive federal disaster aid and assistance, the governor announced he submitted a request for FEMA to assist the state in conducting a formal federal preliminary damage assessment of the damage caused by the extreme storms and flooding across the state. The governor’s request came as a result of WEM’s reports that the initial state and local damage review suggested Wisconsin would meet the federal threshold to receive federal aid and assistance. On Aug. 27, Gov. Evers requested a formal presidential disaster declaration from President Donald Trump, a portion of which was approved in September.

Following this partial approval and the completion of Wisconsin Emergency Management and FEMA’s joint Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs) for Public Assistance on Sept. 17, which validated more than $26.5 million in eligible Public Assistance disaster costs, weeks later, the Trump Administration denied Wisconsin’s application, citing that that while the impact to individuals and households was significant, based on the Preliminary Damage Assessments, “it has been determined that the public assistance program is not warranted.” Days later, the Trump Administration subsequently denied Wisconsin’s application for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding. In response, the governor immediately moved to appeal both decisions, and the governor's appeal for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding remains outstanding.
 
An online version of this release is available here.
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