Feds not sure how much money will be available to Wisconsin for next disaster

Talk about it

Federal officials say it’s too early to decide how much funding will be available to help Wisconsin flood victims guard against the next disaster.

FEMA spokesman Mike McCormick says it doesn’t make sense to budget re-building funds until all the victims get registered with his agency.

That process continues in many of the 30 counties that were declared disaster areas in June.

McCormick says some people have the mistaken impression that FEMA will simply buy their homes.

Those monies are intended for communities that want to elevate houses – or maybe move to higher ground, like Gays Mills is considering.

Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Menomonee Falls, wants an investigation into the recent applications for food stamps intended for flood victims in Milwaukee County.

WITI TV said it found $8 million in fraud, stemming from the recent shoving incident the day thousands of poor people lined up with the assumption that food stamps were there for the taking.

The station quoted one person who claimed to be flooded out in a second floor apartment.

Another said her food spoiled because her power was out for four days. But We Energies later said her neighborhood was only dark for a few hours.

Tags: wisconsin, news, flooding, disaster, aid