Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov
Gov. Evers to fight latest Trump Administration denial of disaster assistance, will appeal decision for communities to get the support they need to rebuild and recover
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today announced that the Trump Administration has denied Wisconsin’s application for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Funding for Door, Grant, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha counties after severe storms and flooding caused severe damage to public infrastructure in August. This denial comes as, last week, Gov. Evers announced that he will also be appealing a decision by the Trump Administration to deny Wisconsin’s application for Public Assistance to help address more than $26.5 million in damages to public infrastructure in the six counties impacted.
In addition to appealing the Public Assistance denial, the governor today announced he will also be filing an appeal for the Hazard Mitigation denial to ensure Wisconsin communities receive the support they need to prevent this sort of destruction from happening again in the future. The state has 30 days to file a formal appeal, and the governor has directed Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) to submit additional justification for the request for funding.
“Talk about adding insult to injury. Not only did the Trump Administration deny our request for public assistance to help several communities rebuild and recover after severe weather caused over $26.5 million in damages to public infrastructure, but now, they’ve also denied our request for funding to help prevent this sort of devastation from happening again in the future,” said Gov. Evers. “The Trump Administration has once again told the people of Wisconsin that they are on their own, and we just can’t accept that. We will be appealing this denial, in addition to appealing the denial for public assistance funding, and we urge the Trump Administration to reconsider these decisions and work to support the families, businesses, and communities here in Wisconsin who are working to rebuild and recover.”
The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides funding to help state and local governments implement projects aimed at reducing the risks and impacts of future disasters and is only made possible following a presidentially declared disaster. Mitigation programs, such as the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, have shown success in past flooding events. In Wauwatosa, following severe flooding in 1997, funding from this program supported the purchase and demolition of 23 flood-damaged homes. The city later acquired an additional 65 properties through local funding, creating what is now Hart Park. When the area flooded again in August, the open space prevented residential damage and reduced the need for emergency rescues.
The governor has been steadfast in his efforts to ensure the communities impacted by these severe weather events have the support and resources they need. On August 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 August 27, Gov. Evers requested a formal presidential disaster declaration from President Donald Trump, a portion of which was approved in September.
FEMA’s decision to deny the Hazard Mitigation grants limits support for certain public infrastructure and community-level projects but does not affect homeowners or renters who may qualify for federal assistance through the Individual Assistance program. The deadline to apply for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program is Wed., Nov. 12, 2025. More information on how to apply is available on the Wisconsin Emergency Management website here.
