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Doyle Asks For FEMA Help To Assess Flood Damage

Weekend Storms Spawn Tornadoes, Widespread Flooding

UPDATED: 7:31 am CDT June 11, 2008

Gov. Jim Doyle is seeking assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assess damage from flooding statewide.

READ: Westbound Lanes Of Interstate 94 To Be Closed | SLIDESHOW: See Additional Photos | VIDEO: See Additional Videos

Doyle's office said that the governor will seek a federal disaster declaration later this week after the FEMA assessment.

“Even as we struggle with the shock of the widespread damage across the state, we need to start getting an accurate assessment of the damage and resources needed to help speed the recovery,” Doyle said in a news release.

FEMA officials were expected to begin visiting affected areas of the state on Thursday, including Sauk, Columbia, Milwaukee, Vernon and Crawford counties.

The flooding came from several storms that moved across through the southern part of state last weekend, producing torrential rains and some tornadoes.

The storms and flooding caused damage to area homes and businesses, washed out numerous roads and brought down power lines and trees. There have been no reports of serious injuries or death, but have been some sporadic evacuations.

In the Wisconsin Dells area, rain-swollen Lake Delton breached its banks, washed out a nearby county highway and destroyed four homes before flowing into the Wisconsin River.

Doyle declared a state of emergency for 30 counties due to the flooding. The counties included in Doyle's declaration are: Adams, Calumet, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Lafayette, La Crosse, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Ozaukee, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, and Winnebago.

The flooding has caused evacuations in at least nine Wisconsin counties and at least 12 emergency shelters were set up statewide. So far, evacuations occurred in Iowa, Crawford, Sauk, Dane, Winnebago, Racine, Columbia, Juneau and Vernon counties.

The Red Cross was helping with shelters at North Crawford High School and Spring Green High School. Other shelters are open in La Farge, Ontario, Viroqua, Reedsburg, Richland Center, Elroy, Madison, Avoca and Racine.

In Lake Delton on Tuesday, where the 267-acre lake overflowed and drained, a dozen workers led by contractor Allen Steele are stretching a sewer line across the 200-yard breach where they lake washed out a highway embankment.

Rushing water had ripped apart underground sewer lines as it poured through the breach, and raw sewage was still pouring out of the pipes into the breach and downstream to the Wisconsin River. County Highway A separated the lake from the river.

Steele said that repair work will begin with damming the breach.

In the ensuing deluge, at least five homes were damaged or washed away in the rush of water. About 80 percent of the lake washed down the river, WISC-TV reported. (For more, keep reading here.)

Authorities Monitor Other Area Dams

The state Department of Natural Resources flew over dams in Vernon County and sent engineers to other counties to assess dams there, including Columbia, Dodge, Sauk and Jefferson.

Dams in Fall River and Wyocena in south-central Wisconsin were breached on Monday with water flowing over the top.

However, Columbia County officials said that there are no forced evacuations in Fall River and Portage, WISC-TV reported.

Lake Redstone is also being monitored, but Sauk County officials said that the dam is holding up.

Reedsburg residents are dealing with flooding. In just two days, storms dumped more than 7 inches of rain there. Numerous roads are closed and several landslides have been reported.

The Sauk County Sheriff's Department is advising all citizens to stay off the roads.

Meanwhile, Sauk County authorities are taking steps to help residents affected by the flooding. The Reedsburg Fire Department has filled 500 sandbags for area residents and shelters have been set up at some schools. They are located at Pineview Elementary School on Eighth Street in Reedsburg; Spring Green High School on Varsity Boulevard in Spring Green; and River Valley Middle School on Daley Street in Spring Green.

Portions of Columbia County were also hit hard by flooding. Parts of Columbus are under water because of the rising waters of the Crawfish River.

In Columbus, more than 200 people were evacuated on Monday from an apartment complex, condo building and in several homes with airboats.

Emergency crews used airboats to rescue stranded residents in a 100-unit apartment complex. They launched the boats from the adjacent Kestral Ridge Golf Course.

Water from the Fall River dam was released to keep it from failing, but Columbus Mayor Nancy Osterhaus said that it's only made flooding elsewhere worse.

"We've evacuated a big chunk over by the river, along the Crawfish River," Osterhaus said. "Everything that was really low lying, we've evacuated. (There's) tons of flooding. All the little streets and almost every ditch in town was flooded."

Volunteers were busy preparing sandbags for residents, and then delivering them to affected residents.

Some of the surging waters in Columbus are coming from the Fall River. A voluntary evacuation has been called because of worries that the small dam may not be able to handle all the water.

Besides the Fall River Dam, the main dam in Pardeeville is also concern. Residents along the Fox River are being asked to take part in voluntary evacuations.

Doug Wahl
In Wyocena, residents along the Duck Creek could be affected if the Wyocena Dam fails. There has been only a partial failure at this time.

The Danville River Dam downstream of Columbus is overtopping. Authorities said that evacuation there is mandatory.

The Upper Spring Dam in Palmyra is currently failing and state officials said that Mirror Lake Dam in the Wisconsin Dells is overtopping and could fail.

In Dane County, residents from about 20 homes in Marshall were evacuated on Monday amid concerns about a nearby dam. At an afternoon press conference, officials said that engineers were monitoring the dam located on Hubble Street and they believe the dam will hold. The 20 homes were located to the east of the dam.

Officials said that the problem isn't so much the height of the Marshall dam, but the extended period of time the water has been at this level. There is some flooding as water is going around the dam.

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk said that she thinks the worst might be still to come in Marshall.

"We know that we have more rain in the forecast -- up to 3 inches over the next couple of days," Falk said. "And we also know that our water system here in Dane County has probably not yet experienced the bulk of the water flow that will still be coming upstream to our county."

Engineers are monitoring it closely, concerned with the height of the water and how long it's been pushing on the dam and its proximity to several homes.

Jennifer Brooks was one of those who were evacuated.

"It could go at anytime and that worries me. We could wake up tomorrow morning, especially with the rain we're supposed to get and we don't even have a house. I'm scared," she said.

A makeshift shelter was set up at a nearby church for the evacuated residents.

Elsewhere in Dane County, water is running over some roads in Black Earth, causing many closures in the town. Sandbags are in place to try to keep the rising Black Earth Creek from spilling out.

In Grant County, emergency management officials said that residents aren't being evacuated and levels of the Wisconsin River are being monitored. Officials said that there are several bridges and road closures and many gravel roads have been damaged. A waste water treatment plant and sanitary sewer have also sustained damage, WISC-TV reported.

Preliminary damage estimates in Grant County are in the $1 million range, officials said.

In Richland County, approximately 55 people have been evacuated and taken to the middle school shelter. DNR officials are conducting evacuations in the Viola area.

In Iowa County, about 20 to 30 homes as well as several roads were damaged in the Avoca area. Officials said that many roads are reopening Monday night as crews were patching the damage.

In Rock County, there's high water levels in the towns of Beloit and Newark, WISC-TV reported.

Flooding Causes Road Closures

The floodwaters are causing some road closures throughout the southern part of the state.

Four Dane County roads were closed on Monday night. They include: County Highway W south of Utica; County Highway Y north of Mazomanie; Rimrock Road between John Nolen Drive and Highway 12 and 18; and Highway 19 between Marshall and Waterloo.

In Grant County, state highways 18, 35, 80 and 133 all have water over them or have sustained damage, WISC-TV reported.

In Rock County, County Highway KK south of Highway 59 to Town Line Road is closed. Washington Road from Hartzale to Stebbinsville in the Town of Fulton is also closed.

In Lafayette County, Highway 23 is closed in Darlington.

In Iowa County, major road closures include state highways 14 at Readstown as well as highways 56, 58, 80 North, 131 and 133. (For more, keep reading here.)

Authorities Urge Travelers To Use Caution On Roads

Local emergency management officials are warning drivers to use caution and slow down on area roads. They said that motorists might encounter flowing or standing water or undiscovered road damage. Just a few inches of water can hide storm debris on roadways, they said.

Officials urge drivers use caution on the road, slow down, don't drive through flowing or standing water and watch for storm debris or barricades.

Officials Warn About Water Contamination

State officials are warning residents with private wells to test them for contamination before drinking the water after heavy rains in southern and southwestern Wisconsin.

Officials from the Department of Natural Resources said that wells need to be treated if they are known or even suspected of being overtopped by floodwaters.

Floodwaters can contain bacteria and waste contaminants that threaten water supplies. Wells located in pits and basements are especially susceptible to such contamination.

Officials said that any water supply system overtopped by flood waters should be thoroughly disinfected with a strong chlorine solution or chlorine tablets and not used for 24 hours before flushing the system and submitting a water sample for bacteriological testing.

Dodge County emergency management officials are asking residents with private wells to have their water tested because of possible contamination from flood waters.

In related news, both lakes Mendota and Monona are considered to be unsafe for swimming and recreational activity and all beaches are closed until further notice.

Officials: Residents Should Report Damage To Municipality

Residents with property damage due to flooding are encouraged to report it to their county's emergency management and document their damage with photos or video.

Officials said that residents in need of sandbags to hold back floodwaters should contact their local municipality.

In Madison, city engineers are filling and stockpiling sandbags available for residents to pick up at 1600 Emil St.

NWS Officials Confirm 11 Tornadoes

The National Weather Service confirmed a total of 11 tornadoes on Monday that touched down during the weekend.

Officials said that tornadoes touched down Saturday in Dane, Marquette, Dodge, Sauk, La Crosse, Columbia and Waukesha counties.

The most serious of the tornadoes was an EF2 in Columbia County that caused minor injuries to five people.

Columbia County emergency management officials said that they've found more than 125 homes that sustained damaged from the tornado and flooding this weekend. Total damage estimates are above $1 million and growing, WISC-TV reported.

The NWS also confirmed that an EF1 tornado touched down in La Crosse County on Saturday as well, causing minimal damage.

A tornado then formed and was on the ground for about 18 minutes, reaching wind speeds of up to 120 mph and moving along an eight-mile path before lifting three miles south of Cambria.

The twister that touched down around Stoughton registered as an EF1 on the enhanced Fujita scale near where another tornado devastated the area in August 2005. The storm had estimated winds of 100 mph and damaged homes and a church on its two-mile path.

Storm investigators found a large amount of damage to trees near Pardeeville in Columbia County.

Officials said that evidence strongly suggests brief multiple vortices were located within the main tornado that damaged well-built homes, a barn and a grain silo.

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For the latest weather information, visit Channel 3000's Weather section.

Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.




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