UNDATED (WSAU) Governor Jim Doyle says he’ll seek a federal disaster declaration today for Milwaukee and other counties hit hard by last week’s flooding. But the Federal Emergency Management Agency must tour the areas before major disaster aid is considered. And FEMA’s visit won’t happen until next Monday.
Doyle spokesman Adam Collins says the governor cannot make an official disaster request until all counties submit their final damage estimates. State emergency management officials say they’re working with several counties on that. Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke gave state officials a damage estimate of $28.5-million last Friday – and yesterday, that figure was raised to $37.5-million.
Grant County in far southwest Wisconsin says it has $600,000 in infra-structure damage alone. Milwaukee city crews say they’ve picked up almost 600 tons of flood-damaged debris – and 10 homes near Lincoln Creek have been designated as unsafe due to the flood waters. Over half the calls to a Milwaukee social service help-line are from area that had more than seven-inches of rain in six hours last Thursday night.
