AFTER THE DELUGE
Walker declares Wisconsin in state of emergency as storms finally leave
After touring flood-ravaged areas of western Wisconsin on Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Scott Walker issued an executive order declaring the entire state of Wisconsin to be under a state of emergency “due to an ongoing statewide weather pattern, which has led to severe storms, heavy downpours, flooding and tornadoes.”
“We are ready to provide any tools and resources necessary to impacted communities. I thank all of those who continue to work diligently to help those in need,” Walker said in a statement.
Vernon County residents interviewed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Tuesday compared the damage leveled by Monday and Tuesday’s intense rainfall to destructive flooding in 2007 and 2008 when the cost to repair the area’s damage reached $50 million.
Andrew Beckett, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs Division of Emergency Management, said it’s too early to know whether this week’s flooding will be more destructive or more expensive.
“Right now, our focus is on making sure those living in those areas are safe and that private properties and public infrastructure are protected from further damage,” Beckett said.
The declaration came as a cold front ushered in a much-needed dry spell Wednesday and Wisconsinites were keeping an eye on swollen rivers and cleaning up after days of rain, damaging winds and at least one tornado.
As of 7 p.m. Wednesday, about 4,000 We Energies customers throughout Wisconsin remained without power.
Tornadoes were spotted Tuesday in Campbellsport, Lomira, Oakfield and Brandon, according to the National Weather Service in Sullivan. On Wednesday, the weather service confirmed the Brandon sighting as an EF-1 tornado.
A number of trees and power lines were downed in the Fond du Lac area as a result of the wind and rains, the weather service said.
“Right now, we are going from assessment to recovery, and that’s one thing that always stands out about this community — the number of people who come out and volunteer to help,” Fond du Lac County Executive Allen Buechel said.
In Ozaukee County, the Milwaukee River near Cedarburg is still rising. At 5 p.m., the river stage was at 12.17 feet, more than a foot over flood stage. It is expected to rise to 13 feet before dropping below flood stage Sunday.
At 13 feet, the river will affect Island Drive and Shoreland Parkway in Mequon and Green Bay Road, Elm Sreet and North Cedarburg Road in Thiensville.
Thiensville Public Works Director Andy LaFond said that as of midday Wednesday the village has not experienced any street or business closings as a result of the rainstorms, but some businesses along Main Street and Green Bay Road have set out sandbags as a precautionary measure.
“Most of these folks have been here awhile,” LaFond said. “They know they are on the river; they are good at planning for it.”
The hardest hit part of the state was a swath of central Wisconsin from the Driftless Area southeast of La Crosse through Montello in Marquette County that saw storm totals at 10 inches and above.
The weather service recorded more than 9 inches of rain in Mauston, just over 11 in Montello and more than 12 inches just northwest of Wisconsin Dells.
The Kickapoo River at Viola was at 25.7 feet Wednesday morning and was expected to rise to 28.5 feet. Flood stage is 14 feet; the previous record high was 21.2 feet.
I-90-94 near Mauston was reopened Wednesday afternoon after being closed for more than 12 hours because of flooding.
The deluge also stranded two trains carrying about 400 Amtrak passengers s because of flooding over the train tracks in southern Wisconsin. One Amtrak train was stalled near Portage and another near Tomah.
The trains sat on the tracks overnight. Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said passengers were given complimentary food and water and the trains are designed to accommodate passengers overnight. He said the trains were expected to get underway again Wednesday.
Beckett said residents of Vernon County, and other counties affected by this week’s flooding, should report property damage by calling 211 or (877) 947-2211.
The cold front that arrived Tuesday night will finally give southern Wisconsin a chance to dry out for a couple of days, said weather service meteorologist Ben Miller. Rainstorms are expected across the state Friday night but are not expected to be severe, he said.
“It doesn’t look like a huge deal at this point,” he said.