MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Tony Evers announced in a release Tuesday that the Trump administration has denied Wisconsin’s application for public assistance for several counties after severe storms and flooding caused severe damage to public infrastructure in April.
The counties that were denied public assistance include Bayfield, Manitowoc, Marathon and Racine counties. The state’s application for hazard mitigation was also denied statewide, according to the release.
“Donald Trump is basically telling Wisconsinites that millions of dollars in damages our communities have suffered due to tornadoes, storms, and flooding isn’t bad enough or high enough—it’s a slap in the face. States including Wisconsin send our tax dollars to the federal government so that if we need them in an emergency, we can get the help and the support we need back home, but it’s clear Trump and his administration only care about states that help him politically, and that’s breathtaking,” said Gov. Evers. “We are going to continue to fight every day to get Wisconsin every cent we believe we are due. We will be appealing this decision, and I implore FEMA to reevaluate their findings and grant Wisconsin’s full request expeditiously and without any further delay.”
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The governor said he was notified in a letter dated July 8, 2026, in which FEMA said the impact to infrastructure in these communities, in addition to the governor’s statewide request for hazard mitigation funding, apparently “is not of the severity and magnitude to warrant their designation for Public Assistance.”
After the governor’s formal request in April, formal preliminary damage assessments were conducted by joint teams including FEMA, Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) and local officials, and those assessments validated more than $20 million in eligible disaster costs.
Counties that received public assistance include Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kewaunee, Outagamie, Rock, Vernon, and Waupaca Counties, and the Oneida Nation.
Gov. Evers is now directing WEM to gather additional information and details on costs the public sector and certain private nonprofit organizations incurred due to the April storms.
Wisconsin has 30 days from the date of the denial letter to send its appeal.
