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FEMA to inspect flood damage, volunteers help
FEMA inspectors will soon be in Wisconsin as volunteers from across the country are already on the ground helping people impacted by historic floods.
MILWAUKEE - National attention focuses on Wisconsin's flooding. Volunteers from across the country are already on the ground helping. Now, there is a possibility for federal money as FEMA inspectors will be in southeast Wisconsin on Thursday, Aug. 21.
Gearing up for FEMA inspectors
What we know:
FEMA will be visiting Milwaukee, Waukesha and Washington counties. More could be added to the list.
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The potential for federal aid comes as volunteers outside of Wisconsin are pitching in.
Marybeth Becherer's flood-damaged home is gutted. The national group. Samaritan's Purse, has been helping her since Sunday.
Marybeth Becherer
What they're saying:
"Unbelivable. They just work, work, work, work, and they mucked out the basement and, you know, get in a chain and keep dragging things out, and it's just unbelievable," Becherer said. "They are just Godsend, and they're like our guardian angels, and I don't know how they keep doing it, but we're so appreciative. I don't know what we would have done."
On Wednesday, Aug. 20, a team of 80 volunteers were helping Becherer and at five other sites. Those volunteers are from Texas, North Carolina and elsewhere in the Midwest.
"Seventeen years ago, I started working for them and got the bug to come and help people. So I'm retired from farming. This is what I enjoy doing," said Ed Teegardin, a Samaritan's Purse volunteer from Indiana. "It’s the hardest job you'll ever love. That's the way it is. I mean, it's a lot of hard work, a lot of sweat involved, but meeting the homeowners and doing the work for Jesus, that's the main thing."
Samaritan's Purse volunteers help with flood cleanup in Wauwatosa
FEMA's team
Dig deeper:
It is damage like Becherer's that FEMA will inspect on Thursday.
Milwaukee County officials said local teams visited more than 3,400 homes. Fifty-three percent were destroyed or had major damage. County officials expect FEMA will have a team of 50 to 60 workers.
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Flood damage in Wauwatosa
"Their role is to verify the damage that is reported in our assessments and determine whether federal assistance will be warranted," said Cassandra Libal, Milwaukee County Emergency Management Director. "It is important to understand that FEMA's visit is not a distribution of funds. They are not coming to provide money to homeowners on this Thursday, but they will be coming to make their assessments."
Nonprofits also do their part. Samaritan's Purse has completed 20 work orders and will stay until they finish all of them – about 200 requests.
What's next:
The federal inspection is a necessary step. After that, the governor can ask the president to declare a major disaster. With that, it could unlock disaster money for flood victims.
The Source: The information in this post was produced by FOX6 News and provided, in part, by officials associated with FEMA.