MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The state of Wisconsin is already planning a new request for federal disaster aid after last week's storms and flooding.

It comes as some parts of the state are still under flood warnings, like in Kenosha County, where the Fox River is five feet above flood stage near New Munster and nearby communities.

Emergency managers think it could be some time before the water recedes, but disaster response efforts are already underway.

Local teams are already on the ground throughout the state collecting data in areas that flooded or suffered tornado damage.

Governor Tony Evers said Wisconsin is already preparing a new request for federal assistance, setting the stage for a possible repeat of the FEMA process that played out here last fall.

Greg Engle is the administrator of the Wisconsin Emergency Management division of the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs.

On Monday, April 20, Engle told us, "Depending on where you are in the state, we're in different phases of this disaster response."

Some flood-affected areas were hit hard last August, some are new. All of them could require disaster relief.

In a letter to Wisconsin's congressional delegation, Gov. Evers said the state is currently preparing "a new request for federal assistance for many of the same communities still rebuilding."

It's one prong of a response that could require local, state, and federal cooperation.

"Devastating winds, tornadoes, hail, and heavy rainfall" hit across the state, Evers wrote.

Some communities are clearing debris and rebuilding after at least seven tornadoes touched down. Others are still sandbagging and protecting against still-rising river levels.

Evers' letter urged Wisconsin's senators and representatives to "help convey the importance of FEMA assistance to the Trump Administration."

He wrote, "Letters of support from members of Wisconsin’s delegation, direct conversations with Trump Administration officials, and bipartisan public engagement on behalf of our state all matter."

Additionally, many of the impacted areas are still coping with the impact of last year's storms, "absorbing tens of millions of dollars in disaster recovery costs" after the Trump administration denied the state's request for public aid.

Like last year, the long process begins with local damage assessments.

"That will take some time to complete," a spokesperson for the governor told us, but that work is already underway in affected counties.

Engle said, "We need to aggregate that at the state level before we can really make a determination of what kind of assistance might be available."

Waukesha County Emergency Management Coordinator Alex Freeman told us conditions are trending in the right direction there, but he added it's important to remember it's a lengthy process.

Right now, people should not wait to clean up, make repairs -- document damage, take photos, and collect receipts.

Local partners in Milwaukee County are also looking further ahead.

The city, county, and sewerage district formed a Flood Mitigation Task Force "to address the increasing frequency of serious flooding in our region".

Mayor Cavalier Johnson said it will "prioritize mitigation in locations facing the highest risk" and "add a renewed sense of urgency."

But communities are mostly focused on what needs to happen first in order to trigger a federal recovery response.

Engle told us, "We are definitely prepared to make that request if it looks like we're going to meet some of those thresholds."

Here's what the process entails:

First, local county damage assessors will survey affected areas.

If the amount of damage is sufficient in the state's eyes, the state will request FEMA inspectors. They will walk through affected areas and prepare an assessment.

That report goes to the President, who ultimately has the final say on officially declaring a disaster that would free up federal funds.

But there is no set timeline. Last year's disaster declaration came one month after the August rainstorms, but that was an extremely fast timeline compared to other disasters.