Wisconsin News

Wisconsin’s federal lawmakers call on Trump to approve disaster declaration for April storms

May 30, 2026

Wisconsin’s congressional delegation on Thursday sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to approve a disaster declaration for storms that ripped through the state in April and caused more than $27 million in damages.

All eight of the state’s House of Representatives members signed the letter, as did Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson did not sign.

Gov. Tony Evers last week asked the president for a disaster declaration to help communities recover from “widespread destruction” caused by hail, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding.

In their letter, Wisconsin’s federal lawmakers express “strong support” for the state receiving a major disaster declaration and subsequent assistance.

The lawmakers say widespread flooding throughout the state in April left many rural communities with “unprecedented damage” that is “beyond their capacity to manage.”

Joint assessments by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Wisconsin Emergency Management documented nearly $10 million in damages to more than 1,500 residential structures across 19 counties and the Oneida Nation, according to the letter. Emergency officials also documented more than $17 million in damages to public infrastructure.

“This delegation is committed to working with your administration, FEMA and Wisconsin Emergency Management to guarantee that Wisconsin’s residents and communities get the assistance they need,” the letter to Trump reads.

U.S. Rep. Tony Wied, R-De Pere, said on social media that he led members of the state’s congressional delegation in sending the letter.

“Communities across (my district) suffered major damage from last month’s storms, and I remain committed to getting them the relief they need and deserve,” Wied said.

The city of New London and the village of Shiocton, both in Wied’s northeast Wisconsin district, were forced to issue evacuation orders in response to flooding last month.

Shiocton is in Outagamie County, while New London is in both Outagamie and Waupaca counties. Verified public damages total more than $1.4 million in Outagamie County and nearly $2 million in Waupaca County, according to the governor’s letter to the president last week.

Janesville was also hit by significant rainfall and flooding that led to road closures, evacuations and damage to homes and public infrastructure. Students at the city’s Washington Elementary School relocated to other schools for the remainder of the school year after the building was badly damaged.

Verified public damage in Rock County, home to Janesville, amounts to more than $11 million, according to the letter from Evers.

In a statment, U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, said helping families affected by the spring storms access resources is a “top priority.”

“Timely action is critical,” he said. “I’m continuing to work with my colleagues and the Trump Administration to secure the necessary resources to help Wisconsin families.”

It is the president’s decision to approve or deny a disaster declaration and there isn’t a strict legal timeline for a response to a state’s request.

The governor’s office said the new request for federal assistance comes after the Trump administration denied federal recovery support for more than $27 million in damages related to severe weather last summer.

According to reporting by Politico, it has been three times harder for Democrat-led states than Republican-led states to receive disaster funding under the Trump administration.

Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson told WPR last week that he was hopeful the disaster declaration would be approved.

“We’ve made a very compelling case. We have put politics aside,” he said. “We have seen Democrats, Republicans, independents — at all levels of government — joined together in this very important effort.”

Nelson also said federal relief is essential to the recovery effort for communities like Shiocton, where flooding damage exceeded the village’s annual property tax levy.