Agencies deny flood assistance request for county residents

Damage caused by late August storms deemed not severe enough for aid
By 
DAN BENSON
Ozaukee Press staff

Ozaukee County residents affected by heavy rains that inundated the area in late August will not be receiving assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA), it was announced last week.

Both agencies denied requests from Ozaukee County and the state for assistance in the form of direct grants and loans to assist homeowners, renters and businesses recovering from the floods of Aug. 26-27. 

The denial is based on the results of the damage assessment conducted in the weeks following the flooding using the FEMA damage assessment guidelines, a FEMA press release said. 

Other counties denied assistance were Adams, Columbia, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Jefferson, and Washington.

Individual assistance to residents and businesses in Marquette County is being offered.

Federal disaster assistance was extended in October to Crawford, Dane, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Sauk and Vernon counties.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s office said in a press release it is exploring options for the counties not receiving FEMA assistance.

Ziegler said in an interview that 200 to 225 county homes and about 50 businesses suffered some damage but most were in the lowest category. Only 10 were deemed severely damaged. 

No homes or businesses were destroyed, he said.

It is likely local public entities will receive some compensation, Ziegler said.

Land, roads and buildings owned by municipalities, school districts and the county suffered close to $800,000 in damage, Ziegler said.

The largest single-site damage was to Our Savior Lutheran School in Grafton, which suffered $250,000 in damage. County parks suffered a similar amount of damage, he said.

In a separate press release, Ziegler said many residents may qualify for flood insurance even if they do not live in a flood plain. He suggested they check with their insurance agents or the National Flood Insurance Program at www.floodsmart.gov.

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Wisconsin’s largest paid circulation community weekly newspaper. Serving Port Washington, Saukville, Grafton, Fredonia, Belgium, as well as Ozaukee County government. Locally owned and printed in Port Washington, Wisconsin.

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