MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today announced he has directed Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) to submit a request for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist the state in conducting a formal federal preliminary damage assessment of damage caused by severe storms on July 27, 2026. The severe storms resulted in at least one confirmed EF-3 tornado in the Menasha/Appleton area, along with high winds, hail, power outages, and disruptions to public water systems, causing widespread and significant damage in Forest, Outagamie, Vilas, and Winnebago Counties. A formal federal preliminary damage assessment is the next step in the process after an initial local and state damage assessment is conducted. This marks the third bout of severe storms that has rocked Wisconsin recently, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in damages. Additional counties may be added to this request after verifying pending county damage assessment information.
“Families, businesses, and entire neighborhoods are hurting after yet another bout of severe weather across the state, and while our dedicated local governments, emergency responders, and neighbors have been working countless hours to rebuild their communities, there is a long road to recovery ahead of us,” said Gov. Evers. “As a state, we are doing all that we can to support local recovery efforts, and this is the next step towards requesting formal assistance from our federal partners so we can continue to support our communities during this long recovery process.”
The formal joint preliminary damage assessment (PDA) is a crucial step towards Wisconsin submitting a formal disaster declaration request to President Trump. During this process, FEMA will work with both the state and local government to conduct a thorough assessment of the impacted area to determine the extent of the disaster, the impact on individual homeowners and renters, as well as public facilities, and the types of federal assistance that may be needed.
To expedite the process, FEMA will review much of the damage information virtually and conduct on-site damage assessments only as needed. Dates and locations where FEMA will conduct on-site assessments have not yet been determined.
Once the PDA is completed, the next step would be for Gov. Evers to submit a formal request for a major disaster declaration. A major disaster declaration must be approved by the president and determines which, if any, types of federal assistance will be provided. Additional information on how the disaster declaration process works can be found on FEMA’s website.
Notably, the governor’s latest request for aid comes as President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Administration have repeatedly come under fire for slashing funding for emergency preparedness and response at FEMA while also prioritizing Republican-run states to receive disaster relief. Recent reporting indicates that it is three times harder for Democratic-led states to get disaster funding under the Trump Administration than Republican-led states, with the Trump Administration rejecting disaster aid for Democratic-led states at the highest rate in the history of FEMA.
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. Gov. Evers declared a state of emergency on July 28 due to the severe storms, and on July 30, the governor activated the Wisconsin National Guard to support Winnebago County’s ongoing recovery response after devastating and destructive storms. Following his activation of the Wisconsin National Guard, the governor toured storm damage in Menasha, where he met and spoke with local officials, neighbors, first responders, and volunteers about their tireless efforts to restore safety, reconnect families, and begin the difficult process of rebuilding their communities. Additionally, the Evers Administration and WEM have fulfilled requests for state aid and assistance from local county emergency management.
Last week, Gov. Evers signed Executive Order #303 declaring a period of abnormal economic disruption in Outagamie, Winnebago, Forest, and Vilas Counties in response to the July 27 severe weather. As families and communities continue to rebuild and recover, especially those who are displaced from their homes, Gov. Evers directed the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to enforce prohibitions against price gouging on everyday essentials and lodging.
The July 27 severe weather is the second round of severe weather the state has seen this summer alone, and following the Trump Administration’s denial of FEMA assistance for damages caused by April’s severe storms, Gov. Evers announced last week that Wisconsin is filing an appeal to ensure affected communities receive the federal disaster aid they need to rebuild and recover.
To date, President Trump and his administration have still failed to justify their multiple denials of federal assistance to help communities respond to and recover from similar severe weather and flooding that occurred across the state throughout the last year, causing tens of millions of dollars in damages and exceeding local and state resources. That’s why, back in April, Gov. Evers sent a letter to members of Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation, imploring lawmakers to stand up for Wisconsin communities, underscoring that public and persistent efforts to help advocate for Wisconsin to receive assistance from federal partners, including President Trump, will be key to securing the disaster aid needed.
The Evers Administration, including WEM, continues to work with local and Tribal emergency management offices across the state to assess damage and provide resources needed to speed recovery efforts. Wisconsinites are also encouraged to report storm and flooding damage by calling 2-1-1 or online at 211 Wisconsin’s disaster report page. Additional information from WEM regarding storm damage response is attached in this FAQ.
It is important to note that federal assistance is only available at this time for disaster survivors from the April 13–23 storms. Those who were impacted by the July 27 storms should contact 211 or check with their county on what resources or assistance are available to them.
An online version of this release is available here.
