FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday July 24, 2018
Mark Bednar; 202-738-0744
Washington DC – Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy, Chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing & Insurance, and Senator Ron Johnson today sent a letter to President Trump in support of Governor Scott Walker’s request for federal disaster aid for northwestern Wisconsin. The aid request is in response to massive June flooding in the area. Read the entire letter below.
“Mr. President:
“We respectfully request that you promptly consider the July 20, 2018 request from Gov. Scott Walker for a major disaster declaration in six Wisconsin counties. The request for federal assistance is to help Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Clark, Douglas and Iron counties recover from flooding in June.
“Beginning on June 16, heavy rains fell in northwestern Wisconsin, which caused record flooding in the region. Tragically, two Wisconsinites were killed in storm-related incidents. The flooding also caused significant damage to public infrastructure, as many roads and culverts were damaged if not completely washed out.
“We base our support of Governor Walker’s request on the damage assessment qualifications that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) uses to determine whether a severe weather event qualifies as a major disaster. The federal damage assessments revealed that the total cost of debris clearance, emergency protective measures, and damage to public infrastructure was in excess of $13.1 million. We believe that the severity of the localized damage caused by these storms and the impact they continue to have on the affected counties warrants the use of federal resources to facilitate recovery operations.
“We fully support Governor Walker’s request for federal assistance in this difficult time. FEMA’s Public Assistance Program will provide financial relief to these counties as they continue to recover from the widespread damage.”
Background:
For a PDF link to the letter, please click HERE.
