U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Tours Ashland Flood Damage, Requests Federal Assistance for Wisconsin Communities Impacted

ASHLAND, WI – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today met with local officials in Ashland and visited an area damaged by recent storms and severe flooding. On Thursday, Senator Baldwin wrote to the Federal Highway Administration, the Army Corps of Engineers and President Trump to request federal assistance to help repair roads, bridges and infrastructure in impacted counties.

“Recent storms and flooding have severely damaged roads, bridges and infrastructure in northern Wisconsin, which threatens Wisconsinites’ ability to get to work, to get their goods to market and to keep our economy moving forward,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am calling on the federal government to provide assistance because we must make sure our communities get the support they need to recover and repair our roads and bridges in northern Wisconsin.”

Senator Baldwin on Friday traveled to Ashland to meet with local officials including Ashland Mayor Deb Lewis, Iron County Forest Administrator Eric J. Peterson and Douglas County Emergency Manager Keith Kesler, among others, where she saw flood damage that washed out a section of U.S. Highway 2, a major artery across northern Wisconsin.

Senator Baldwin called on the Federal Highway Administration to make federal emergency relief funding available to help repair roads and bridges damaged by the severe flooding in northern Wisconsin, and asked the Army Corps of Engineers to provide federal funds to dredge Saxon Harbor. Senator Baldwin also wrote to President Trump to request federal assistance for Wisconsin and to ask the President to support a FEMA disaster declaration, should the state of Wisconsin deem it necessary.

“The State of Wisconsin and local governments are currently assessing the damage to determine whether the disaster meets the criteria for a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster declaration,” wrote Senator Baldwin in her letter to President Trump. “A FEMA disaster declaration makes critical federal funds available to reimburse local communities for needed damage repairs and recovery.  Should Governor Walker make a request for FEMA to conduct damage assessments and seek a federal disaster declaration, I would strongly urge you to provide federal assistance and your full support.

“The flooding damaged transportation infrastructure and emergency managers were immediately at work assisting those stranded by flooded roads, mitigating impacts to road and bridge infrastructure, and assessing damages. As these communities work to recover, I ask that you work quickly to make federal emergency transportation funding available to Wisconsin to stabilize roads, including tribal roads and federally owned roads, and make permanent repairs to ensure that residents have access to safe and reliable transportation.”

Senator Baldwin’s full letter to President Trump is available here.

A copy of the letter to the Federal Highway Administration is available here and the letter to the Army Corps of Engineers is available here.