The owners of properties that sustained damage from last month's flooding across the Milwaukee area are encouraged to apply for individual assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, before the Nov. 12 application deadline. Assistance also is available through the U.S. Small Business Administration.
President Donald Trump said last week that he was authorizing nearly $30 million in federal aid to Wisconsin communities, including Wauwatosa, that were hit hard by the Aug. 9 and 10 storms and flooding.
Milwaukee County David Crowley, in a Sept. 19 news release, clarified that federal aid for individuals is not capped at the amount cited by the president, and anyone who might be eligible should consider applying by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov or calling 800-621-3362.
“Milwaukee County residents have patiently awaited federal assistance to help them recover from the floods, but now it’s imperative that everyone has access to clear, accurate, and timely information to get the help they deserve,” Crowley said. “The most important step today is applying for FEMA assistance, either online or by phone. I strongly encourage every resident with flood damage to not wait until the last minute. Applying for assistance today is the first step toward recovery.”
Earlier this week, the Small Business Administration announced it was providing low-interest federal disaster loans to Wisconsin. businesses, nonprofits and residents in Milwaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties.
"Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets," the agency said.
Homeowners also may be eligible for loans of up to $100,000 to replace damaged personal property or loans of up to $500,000 to repair their primary residences.
To apply, visit sba.gov/disaster or call 800-659-2955. Representatives also are available to provide guidance at the agency's Business Recovery Center at 6737 W. Washington St., West Allis.
Also this week, the City of Wauwatosa reported that it had determined 27 properties in the city sustained substantial flood-related damage, based on FEMA guidelines that define substantial as damage requiring repairs worth at least half of the property's value.
Last month, the city estimated that more than 500 total homes were impacted by the disaster. Since then, none of the damaged homes in the city have been deemed uninhabitable, Communications Manager Eva Ennamorato told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The storm overnight Aug. 9 dropped an estimated 5 inches of rain on Wauwatosa in just a few hours, which flooded basements, overwhelmed storm sewers and raised the Menomonee River by 13 feet to flood stage.
Some businesses near the river and even in higher elevations in the city were forced to close for repairs. Café Hollander in Tosa Village, for example, has reopened its bar and patio but is still finishing repairs to its kitchen, which had filled with floodwater from the swollen river. Tosa Yoga Center in East Tosa also has been closed for flood-related repairs since last month, but it has resumed its classes elsewhere in borrowed spaces in the meantime.
Despite such progress in the business community recovering from the flooding, organizers of Tosa Village's annual Christkindlmarkt announced this week that the German-style winter market would not return this year to allow participating businesses more time to rebound.
“We are grateful for the vendors who’ve helped establish the holiday market as a new tradition over the last two years,” said Beth Gleesing, the city's tourism specialist. “While those vendors won’t be here for 2025, the businesses and organizations that were devastated by the August flooding will be. We encourage everyone to visit them under the beautifully decorated streets of the Wauwatosa Village this upcoming holiday season."
