MILWAUKEE, Wis. — On Thursday, FEMA starts its preliminary damage assessment in southeast Wisconsin, more than a week after historic flooding.
Residents in southeast Wisconsin may see agents from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, in their neighborhoods this week as they assess the damage caused by heavy storms and flooding that occurred between Aug. 9-11.
“We lost two cars, we lost all of the kids’ stuff, we lost about everything,” said displaced resident Vivian Rudd.
Vivian Rudd, her husband, and her three kids are currently displaced — they’ve been living in hotels or Airbnbs after the foundation of their north Milwaukee rental home was chipped away by the flood.
“We need help, that’s just the bottom line. How am I supposed to build back what we had when we lost everything?” said Rudd.
Photos and videos from Rudd show cinder blocks popping out of the walls of her basement.
“They were like Lego pieces,” said Rudd.
She estimates she lost about $35,000 to $40,000 in damage, along with countless memories.
“It’s almost like a nightmare, it’s unbelievable. Some days, I just wake up and shake my head because I’m like, how did we get here? And insurance doesn’t want to cover anything,” said Rudd.
Rudd hopes FEMA will step in to help. Milwaukee County officials say FEMA will tour homes in impacted neighborhoods to conduct a preliminary damage assessment.
After verifying damage from the storm, the team will then determine if federal assistance is necessary.
“If your home is not assessed during this visit, do not be concerned. It does not mean that you won’t be eligible for assistance at a later date,” said Milwaukee County Director of the Office of Emergency Management Cassandra Libal.
Watch: Displaced resident hopes for assistance as FEMA begins assessing flood damage
Libal said they anticipate FEMA will assess the damage until early next week, and from there, she’s unsure how long it will take before the federal government decides on funding.
“Once they [FEMA] complete what they need to do, then they will take that back, and the timeline is in their hands,” said Libal.
With federal officials touring homes during the visit, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley warned homeowners and renters to be aware of potential scammers.
“So for your safety, always check and verify IDs or badges before allowing anyone inside and sharing any personal information that you have,” said Crowley.
For Rudd, she tries to stay positive and take each day as it comes.
“I just tell my kids, you know, it’s a storm but we will get past it,” said Rudd.
But she has no doubt that aid would make a difference.
“We need it here. It’s not because somebody’s trying to get a quick buck or something like that. People lost cars and houses,” said Rudd.
These assessments are an essential part of determining if Wisconsin receives support from the federal government. FEMA has more information about the next steps and the process of how federal assistance reaches communities after a disaster.
Vivian Rudd and her family have a GoFundMe posted for anyone who wishes to help them out.
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