Email This Story
Print This Story
READ: 
INTERACTIVE: 
TALKBACK: 
Gays Mills Moves Forward From Flooding, Celebrates Apple Festival
25,000 Pack Gays Mills Weeks After Water Recedes
UPDATED: 1:12 pm CDT October 1,
2007
GAYS MILLS, Wis. -- The annual Fall Apple Fest in Gays Mills attracted 25,000 people during the weekend.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportOnly six weeks ago, the entire community was underwater and 200 homes and businesses were severely damaged by the flooding. On Sunday, the community celebrated what they're known best for, the apple harvest, WISC-TV reported."Glad to see that we could pull it off again this year after everything we went through," said Gays Mills resident Vera Stussy.While there was much to celebrate, some residents like Stussy said that it is impossible to forget what happened a few weeks ago."There were at least 20 to 30 homes that were totally lost," said Stussy."This whole section down here was just this deep in water," she said. "It's just hard to even think about it now.""People are recovering, but of course, it's bad," said resident Dave Colclouth. "It's hard for people, emotionally upsetting."Even Gays Mills emergency responders are still trying to recover after water poured into their building."We tried to put everything up that we could," said Peggy Lathrop. "We got out our filing cabinets and everything and the squad got out."The mold has stayed, forcing the EMS personnel to relocate to another building, WISC-TV reported.Some residents said the ordeal has made them stronger and the apple festival proves it."We're a real strong community and we pull together," said Stussy.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportOnly six weeks ago, the entire community was underwater and 200 homes and businesses were severely damaged by the flooding. On Sunday, the community celebrated what they're known best for, the apple harvest, WISC-TV reported."Glad to see that we could pull it off again this year after everything we went through," said Gays Mills resident Vera Stussy.While there was much to celebrate, some residents like Stussy said that it is impossible to forget what happened a few weeks ago."There were at least 20 to 30 homes that were totally lost," said Stussy."This whole section down here was just this deep in water," she said. "It's just hard to even think about it now.""People are recovering, but of course, it's bad," said resident Dave Colclouth. "It's hard for people, emotionally upsetting."Even Gays Mills emergency responders are still trying to recover after water poured into their building."We tried to put everything up that we could," said Peggy Lathrop. "We got out our filing cabinets and everything and the squad got out."The mold has stayed, forcing the EMS personnel to relocate to another building, WISC-TV reported.Some residents said the ordeal has made them stronger and the apple festival proves it."We're a real strong community and we pull together," said Stussy.
Previous Stories:
- August 30, 2007: Gays Mills Residents Decide Whether To Rebuild Or Leave
- August 27, 2007: Gays Mills Residents Await News Of Federal Funding
- August 25, 2007: Officials Evaluate Flood Damage In Southwestern Wisconsin
- August 24, 2007: More Rain Raises Specter Of Dane County Flooding
- August 23, 2007: Red Cross Conducts Damage Assessments In Gays Mills
- August 21, 2007: Doyle Declares Sauk, La Crosse Counties Disaster Areas
- August 21, 2007: Authorities Step In As Recovery Begins From Weekend Flooding
- August 21, 2007: Gay Mills Residents Return After Flooding
- August 20, 2007: Authorities Declare Crawford County Disaster Area
Copyright 2007 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
