MADISON (NBC 26) — Gov. Tony Evers has directed Wisconsin Emergency Management to submit a request for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to conduct a formal federal preliminary damage assessment of damage caused by severe storms on July 27, 2026.
The storms produced 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. The storms caused widespread and significant damage in Forest, Outagamie, Vilas, and Winnebago counties. Additional counties may be added to the request after pending county damage assessment information is verified.
"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," Evers said. "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 July 27 storms mark the third bout of severe weather to strike Wisconsin recently, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in damages combined.
The formal joint preliminary damage assessment is a crucial step toward Wisconsin submitting a formal disaster declaration request to President Trump. During the process, FEMA will work with state and local governments to assess the impacted area, determine the extent of the disaster, evaluate the impact on individual homeowners, renters, and public facilities, and identify what types of federal assistance may be needed.
To expedite the process, FEMA will review much of the damage information virtually and conduct on-site assessments only as needed. Dates and locations for any on-site assessments have not yet been determined.
Once the preliminary damage assessment is completed, the next step would be for Evers to submit a formal request for a major disaster declaration. A major disaster declaration must be approved by the president and determines which types of federal assistance, if any, will be provided.
The governor's latest request comes as the Trump Administration has repeatedly faced criticism for cutting funding for emergency preparedness and response at FEMA while also prioritizing Republican-led states for disaster relief. Recent reporting indicates it is 3 times harder for Democratic-led states to receive disaster funding under the Trump Administration than Republican-led states, with the administration rejecting disaster aid for Democratic-led states at the highest rate in FEMA's history.
Evers declared a state of emergency on July 28 due to the severe storms. On July 30, he activated the Wisconsin National Guard to support Winnebago County's ongoing recovery response. Following that activation, Evers toured storm damage in Menasha, where he met with local officials, neighbors, first responders, and volunteers.
Last week, 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 storms. He also directed the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to enforce prohibitions against price gouging on everyday essentials and lodging as families and communities continue to rebuild.
The July 27 storms are the second round of severe weather Wisconsin has seen this summer. Following the Trump Administration's denial of FEMA assistance for damages caused by April's severe storms, Evers announced last week that Wisconsin is filing an appeal to ensure affected communities receive the federal disaster aid needed to rebuild and recover.
The Trump Administration has not justified its multiple denials of federal assistance to help Wisconsin communities respond to and recover from severe weather and flooding that occurred across the state over the last year, causing tens of millions of dollars in damages and exceeding local and state resources. In April, Evers sent a letter to members of Wisconsin's Congressional delegation urging lawmakers to advocate for Wisconsin to receive federal disaster assistance.
The Evers Administration, including Wisconsin Emergency Management, continues to work with local and Tribal emergency management offices across the state to assess damage and provide resources to speed recovery efforts.
Residents are encouraged to report storm and flooding damage by calling 2-1-1 or online at 211 Wisconsin's disaster report page.
It is important to note that federal assistance is only available at this time for disaster survivors from the April 13–23 storms. Those impacted by the July 27 storms should contact 211 or check with their county on what resources or assistance are available to them.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
