Storm damage on the UW-Platteville campus (Photo: UW-Platteville)
Governor Scott Walker is asking the U.S. Small Business Administration to declare Grant County a disaster area.
The request comes after a severe storm and tornado did damage in the area last month. It also covers counties contiguous to Grant, including Crawford, Iowa, Lafayette, and Richland counties. A declaration from SBA would allow individuals and businesses affected by the storms to apply for low interest loans.
SBA officials did an initial damage assessment in the area last month, and found that 25 homes and businesses sustained significant damage and uninsured losses exceeded 40-percent.
While Grant County did meet the SBA’s criteria, the area did not rise to the level of a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) major disaster declaration.
Among the areas impacted by the storm on June 16 was the UW-Platteville campus, where damage to buildings and the stadium could top $10 million.