Rep. Wied Leads Letter to FEMA Urging Swift Action in Coordination with the State

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Rep. Tony Wied (WI-08) led Reps. Bryan Steil (WI-01), Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), and Tom Tiffany (WI-07) in sending a letter to Acting Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Karen Evans thanking the agency for its swift response to the State's request for a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment and urging the agency to act swiftly and in coordination with Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM).

"We write to express our thanks for your agency's prompt response to the State of Wisconsin's request for FEMA to conduct a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment (JPDA) with WEM in order to determine whether the damage meets the thresholds for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration," said the Congressmen. "We value FEMA's ongoing collaboration with Wisconsin and look forward to working with your agency as relief efforts progress. We remain committed to partnering with you at every stage of this effort to guarantee that Wisconsin's residents and communities get the assistance they need."

Last month, communities across Wisconsin, particularly in the Northeast, experienced historic flooding that caused severe damage to public and private property. On Wednesday, April 29th, Governor Evers requested FEMA's assistance with a JDPA, and on Thursday, April 30th, FEMA quickly responded.

Completing this assessment is the next step to secure federal assistance for families and communities impacted by the recent storms and flooding across the state, which have overwhelmed local emergency management agencies. FEMA has announced that these assessments will begin on Monday, May 4th, in collaboration with state officials.

Read the full letter HERE.