Sen. Baldwin Requests Federal Disaster Declaration for Wisconsin Communities Damaged by Flooding

WASHINGTON, July 26 -- The office of Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, issued the following news release:

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is requesting a federal disaster declaration for Wisconsin communities damaged by recent storms and severe flooding.

In a letter to President Trump, Senator Baldwin is urging him to support the State of Wisconsin's request for a major disaster declaration in the Wisconsin counties of Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Clark, Douglas and Iron following severe storms and flash flooding. The June storms damaged homes, businesses and public infrastructure, including federal highways and federally-financed water infrastructure projects.

"I travelled to Wisconsin shortly after the storms to meet with local officials and to tour the affected areas. There, I saw some of the flood damage, including a washed out section of U.S. Highway 2, a major artery across northern Wisconsin," Senator Baldwin wrote. "In a June 28, 2018 letter, I wrote to you calling on the federal government to provide assistance should Governor Walker make a request seeking a federal disaster declaration. The Governor has determined that this incident requires immediate federal assistance after Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 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."

Senator Baldwin continued, "Federal resources are critical to ensure rapid and effective response and recovery. A major disaster declaration will also help ensure that Wisconsinites impacted by these storms can rebuild their communities with robust funding and support from the federal government."

In June, Senator Baldwin met with local officials in Ashland and visited an area affected by the flooding. She also called on the Federal Highway Administration to make federal emergency relief funding available to help repair roads and bridges damaged by the severe flooding in northern Wisconsin. To date, the Federal Highway Administration has released $1 million for emergency road repairs.

The full letter is available here (https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/STB%20Disaster%20Declaration%20Support%20Letter.pdf).