MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle has requested assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to conduct a comprehensive damage assessment from this weekend’s severe weather and flooding. Governor Doyle is expected to seek a Federal Disaster Declaration following 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,” Governor Doyle said. “I’d also like to thank all of the people in this state who have come together to help their neighbors and friends during this tough situation.”
FEMA officials are expected to begin visiting affected areas of the state Thursday starting with Sauk, Columbia, Milwaukee, Vernon and Crawford Counties. Some of the hardest hit areas include:
- Lake Delton where high water levels caused a breech which drained the lake.
- Vernon County where 113 roads are closed where the communities of La Farge and Viola are reporting record water levels.
- Sauk County where the Wisconsin highway 33 bridge in Reedsburg is closed due to structural instability. Reedsburg is experiencing flooding at an electrical substation and at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The Department of Natural Resources has brought in pumps to reduce water levels at these facilities. There are also concerns about potential contamination in the municipal water system.
The damage assessments from the initial FEMA surveys will be used to draft the formal request for a Federal Disaster Declaration later this week.
As of Monday, Governor Doyle had declared a state of emergency for 30 counties due to severe storms and flooding.
The counties include: Adams, Calumet, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Lafayette, LaCrosse, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Ozaukee, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, and Winnebago Counties.
The Governor’s declaration allows Wisconsin’s Adjutant General, Brigadier General Don Dunbar to activate National Guard troops to assist the affected counties as necessary.
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