FEMA in Milwaukee, assessing flood devastation after historic flooding

FEMA assessing flood devastation after Wisconsin flooding

Days after historic flooding devastated southeastern Wisconsin, FEMA crews were on the ground on Thursday, Aug. 21, assessing the damage in Milwaukee, Waukesha and Washington counties.

MILWAUKEE - FEMA crews are finally on the ground in Wisconsin.

Local perspective:

More than 10 days after historic flooding devastated southeastern Wisconsin, FEMA crews were on the ground on Thursday, Aug. 21, assessing the damage in Milwaukee, Waukesha and Washington counties.

On Milwaukee’s north side, residents like Collette McDougal said the visit underscored the magnitude of the loss.

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"This is a historical moment – yes it is a historical time and it's such a loss for everyone," McDougal said. "Homes, the foundation of a lot of people’s homes, and documentation and pictures, stuff you can’t replace."

Thousands of lives were turned upside down.

"Going to take a long time for a lot of people around here to recover. A lot of people are homeless now," McDougal said. "Where are you going to get help and support? That’s the next question for a lot of people."

What they're saying:

FEMA public affairs specialist Kim Keblish said crews are conducting preliminary damage assessments to determine whether the flooding rises to the level of a major disaster declaration.

"We are trying to learn how many homes have been damaged, what is the extent of the damage, what is the community impact," Keblish said.

FEMA emphasized they are not yet distributing aid but gathering information that will inform whether Wisconsin requests federal assistance.

"The state will make an analysis of this data, then make a determination on if they want to request federal assistance," Keblish said. "The president would ultimately make the decision on whether a major disaster exists here."

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Big picture view:

Residents like McDougal say they cannot wait much longer.

"We need all the help we can get here, any kind of FEMA, any kind of disaster relief – there are so many in need of that including myself. In need of that right now. Because we lost so much," she said.

Crews did not enter homes but spoke with residents outside, encouraging them to save receipts and records of any cleanup or repairs made.