WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- President Donald Trump has denied the state's request for public assistance following August's historic flooding.

Governor Tony Evers made the announcement Friday, Oct. 24. 

According to a statement, the state asked the federal government for more than $26 million in disaster recovery.

In response, FEMA reportedly said, "The public assistance program is not warranted."

“Denying federal assistance doesn’t just delay recovery, it sends a message to our communities that they are on their own, and that the Trump Administration doesn't think over $26 million in damages to public infrastructure is worthy of their help. I couldn't disagree more,” said Gov. Evers. “The federal government should not expect our communities go through this alone, and we are going to fight tooth and nail to ensure they get every possible resource to rebuild and recover. We are hopeful that the Trump Administration will reconsider this decision, so we can make sure folks have the resources and support they need.”

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley called President Trump's decision "extremely disappointing."

In a statement released Friday, Crowley said:

“For months, Milwaukee County has worked to recover from the extreme storms and historic flooding that hit our community in August. Following the approval of our Individual Assistance request, FEMA has distributed over $123 million in financial assistance to Milwaukee County residents so they can repair their homes and take a major step toward normalcy. I’ve commended the Trump administration for delivering this federal funding to our residents and businesses – because there is no room for politics in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

But the cost to repair the damage to our public assets throughout Eastern Wisconsin – like roads, parks, and public buildings – still looms over our impacted counties and municipalities. Simply put, federal funding is needed to afford the repairs to the public infrastructure that was damaged from the floods so we can continue providing safe infrastructure for our community.

The decision from the Trump administration to deny the State’s request for Public Assistance is extremely disappointing. The preliminary damage assessment showed that the damage sustained throughout all six counties is more than substantial. Without this federal assistance, Milwaukee County is left footing the bill to repair an assessed $22 million in public infrastructure. As the State of Wisconsin begins the process to appeal this denial, I strongly urge President Trump to approve funding for FEMA Public Assistance so we can afford to rebuild our roads, bridges, parks, and public infrastructure.”

Gov. Evers plans to file an appeal. 

This is separate from the FEMA funds for individuals and households. That funding was approved, and FEMA has approved millions of dollars for people affected by the flooding. 

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson released the following statement: 

“Obviously, we are disappointed with the decision to leave local governments on their own to deal with the consequences of August’s devastating flood.

“In a time when local government budgets are extremely tight, Milwaukee could certainly have deployed disaster funding in a way that mitigated the burden our taxpayers will have to shoulder.
“Milwaukee households and businesses have received federal aid, but that was only part of the costly effects of this disaster. We had hoped the federal government would choose to extend this additional assistance.

“I understand Governor Tony Evers intends to appeal this decision, and he has my full support in that effort.”