Disaster funds available in Vilas, Forest for summer storm damage

Federal disaster assistance totaling $17.9 million has been approved for Wisconsin communities recovering from severe storms and tornadoes that struck on July 27, with funding designated to assist affected residents in Vilas and Forest counties.

The presidential disaster declaration prioritizes individual recovery support for Vilas and Forest counties, offering direct grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and specialized recovery programs for impacted families. Outagamie and Winnebago counties are also included in the individual assistance declaration.

In addition to individual relief, Vilas County is eligible for Public Assistance federal funding on a cost-sharing basis, enabling state, tribal, and local governments, as well as qualifying private nonprofits, to perform emergency work and repair or replace storm-damaged public facilities. Public Assistance funding under the declaration was also designated for Winnebago County.

Damage assessments conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Wisconsin Emergency Management identified 2,346 residential structures affected across the designated counties, including 84 destroyed and 412 with major damage, causing residential losses exceeding $8.2 million. Public-sector damage topped $13.8 million, surpassing Wisconsin’s federal per-capita threshold by more than $2.4 million. The July 27 storm system also produced an EF3 tornado in the Fox Valley that stayed on the ground for 12 miles with winds reaching up to 165 mph, leaving more than 30,000 homes and businesses without power.

FEMA has named Hannah Penn as the federal coordinating officer to lead federal recovery operations in Wisconsin. Affected individuals and families in Vilas, Forest, and other designated counties should first file claims with their private insurance providers before applying for federal aid. Registration is available online at disasterassistance.gov, by calling 800-621-3362, or through the FEMA app. Relay service users are asked to provide FEMA with their specific service number when applying.

U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, (R-Wis.), who led Wisconsin’s congressional delegation in sending joint petition letters on Aug. 12 and Aug. 27 urging a major disaster declaration, praised local first responders, officials, and community volunteers for driving initial cleanup and rebuilding efforts.