The Brief
FEMA is on the ground in southeast Wisconsin, assessing flood damage.
Workers are determining whether it rises to the level of a major national disaster.
Homeowners, who continue to recover, are hoping for federal relief.
WEST BEND, Wis. - The Federal Emergency Management Agency is on the ground in southeast Wisconsin, inspecting damage nearly two weeks after historic floods hit the area. FEMA crews are not going to every property, but they are getting a sample.
Flood victims
What they're saying
FOX6 News spotted crews assessing damage in Menomonee Falls, Milwaukee and West Bend on Thursday. The visits are short; the workers FOX6 saw did not enter homes.
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"I'm glad they're here," said West Bend resident Robert Bettin. "It's on, I guess, the federal government's radar that this was indeed a horrible natural disaster, and I'm hoping people like us and our street and obviously Milwaukee can we can get some help."
FEMA crews inspected the outside of Bettin's home, which he said is "a complete and total loss." He also has a GoFundMe set up and said he and his family are living "almost hour by hour" trying to figure things out.
"Based on the different professionals I've talked to, about three or four, foreclosure is going to be our only option right now, because it's just not worth putting hundreds of thousands (of dollars) in to make it livable again," he said. "Currently, there's no utilities whatsoever. I don't know if it's structurally sound. I don't believe anybody should be going in there anymore. And there's sewage, I think, piling up in the basement."
Federal workers went out with local leaders, like West Bend's police chief and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann.
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"Well, it's a relief to have them here," Schoemann said of FEMA's presence. "They're really trying to drill in on what exactly was the damage level, you know? Is it a finished basement? What type of appliances are down there, and how much money did you have to spend to recover?"
Homeowners like Jessica Sabo said FEMA workers asked questions like how much water, how it came in, did you lose utilities and was your basement finished.
"I just really hope they consider the folks on the street and what we're going through, as well as anywhere in the immediate area, and fully understand what it is we're facing," she said. "Whether it be from a financial perspective, the stability of our families, the safety of our families, as well as anything that we lost that may not even be replaceable.
"There's quite a few sentimental items, baby photos, wedding, everything we saved from our wedding was destroyed. You know, things you can't get back, that money cannot buy."
Milwaukee County said it expects 40–60 workers in the region.
Will there be relief money?
What's next
FEMA officials are conducting what's called a preliminary damage assessment to determine whether the floods rise to the level of declaring a major national disaster.
"The president would ultimately make the decision on whether a major disaster exists here," said FEMA's Kim Keblish.
Only once the federal assessment ends can Gov. Tony Evers ask President Donald Trump to declare a disaster that would unlock relief money for flood victims.
The Source
FOX6 News spoke to homeowners and others while following FEMA crews on Thursday. Some information is from prior coverage related to the floods and flood damage.
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