MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Milwaukee flood survivors have less than one week remaining to apply for federal disaster assistance following the historic August flooding that devastated homes across southeast Wisconsin.
Watch: Residents seek help from recovery centers as FEMA assistance deadline nears
For Denise Goggans, a north-side Milwaukee resident, the flooding was devastating. A foot of water submerged her basement, destroying her furnace, washer, dryer, clothing and irreplaceable photos.
"It's depressing, you know. It's just like all of this stuff is lost, and you don't know where to go, where to turn. You're just by yourself. And, you know, it was just really hard to deal with," Goggans said.
For three months, Goggans lived in her cold house without heat. The lack of warmth took a toll on her health.
"I'm getting over being sick. It's just being in the house with no heat. It's kind of hard," Goggans said.
After FEMA agents inspected her home, Goggans received enough financial relief to purchase a new furnace, which she received this week.
"It was a blessing just to get that, you know?" Goggans said.
Goggans has been visiting the disaster recovery center at McNair Academy Elementary School for additional assistance and guidance on navigating the application process.
"I needed more assistance on how to do things on my own, you know, once they're gone, how to upload documents and stuff like that. So they were nice enough to let me come back and, you know, show me how to do that," Goggans said.
The deadline to submit applications is Nov. 12.
"Federal funding will continue to be dispersed to those survivors who were impacted by this flooding event after the 12th, but you must have your application in," Browning said.
Start the application process by going online to DisasterAssistance.gov or calling the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362. You can also apply in person at a disaster recovery center. Find a center by visiting fema.gov/drc.
Goggans encourages other flood survivors not to wait to seek help.
"They're willing to help you out, even if you don't know where to start. They at least get you started, and then you can go from there. But don't sit around and wait," Goggans said.
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