Story originally printed in the Westby Times or online at www.westbytimes.com
Published - Sunday, June 22, 2008
President declares VC disaster area
For the second time in less than a year Vernon County has been declared a disaster area after being ravaged by storms, which produced major flooding.
It’s hard to imagine the devastation many communities endured over the past two weeks when you look outside, the sun is shining, and the temperatures are a pleasant 75 degrees. But, like a carbon copy of flash floods which struck the communities of Coon Valley and Chaseburg in north western region of Vernon County only 10 months earlier on August 18 and 19, 2007, the eastern communities of Ontario, La Farge, Viola, Soldiers Grove in Vernon County and Gays Mills in Crawford County were struck with torrential rains, which resulted in 30-year-record breaking floods on June 7 and 8.
According to a January 2007 Clean Wisconsin report, the disastrous floods that ravaged southern Wisconsin this week are consistent with global warming predictions. Some analysts believe the severe flooding earlier this month is merely a continuation of last fall's heavy precipitation pattern, which also produced record amounts of snowfall during the winter months. The changing Midwest weather patterns are a result of global warming and could result in continued heavy precipitation patterns and extended droughts during the summer months for years to come.
“In the year and a half since the release of this report, we have seen a summer of extreme drought end with intense flooding, a winter of record snowfall and now a spring ending with some of the worst flooding in recent memory,” said Keith Reopelle, Senior Policy Director at Clean Wisconsin, the state’s largest environmental advocacy organization. “Many of the impacts of global warming are occurring much sooner than predicted.”
Scientists predict that increased temperatures will increase winter precipitation by 15 to 30 percent while decreasing summer precipitation by up to 20 percent. Less frequent but more intense storms explain the increased likelihood of summer droughts and floods.
Despite speculation as to why the weather patterns in the state and across the country have produced such severe weather the end result for most communities located along the flooded Kickapoo River and were ravaged by recent flooding, along with the remainder of Vernon County which was still in the recovery mode from last fall’s flooding, the cost of cleanup, repair, and probable relocation of entire communities is going to cost millions of dollars and take an extended period of time to complete.
On Wednesday, June 11, heads of area townships, villages and cities affected by the recent storms gathered in Viroqua to address their concerns and file estimated damage reports with Vernon County Emergency Management. Those reports were filed with the state of Wisconsin. Due to the extensive spectrum of damage Vernon County became eligible for FEMA funding when President Bush declared Vernon, Crawford, Sauk, Dane and Columbia counties in Wisconsin federal disastor areas.
An area can be deemed eligible for federal assistance funding once damages reach 6.2 million dollars. With damages expected to exceed August totals the area could be declared eligible within days.
Damage reports from area townships and communities ranged from $20,000 to over two million dollars in communities most severely ravaged. The villages of Viola, La Farge and Readstown registered record flood levels, exceeding previous marks set on June 17, 1978.
The village of Viola, which finally finished rebuilding after a tornado which struck the area in 2005, reported 1.5 million in flood damage, with two homes totally destroyed, 20 homes majorly damaged and 200 homes adversely affected. Most major businesses were also severly damaged.
In the village of La Farge, six government buildings received $100,000 in damage, and street repairs are estimated at $60,000. The community had to evacuate 25 homes with major damage, four homes were marked severe and an apartment building burned to the ground. The village also lost its sanitation system for 400 residents and its electric service to 500 customers. No value was immediately placed on overall losses in the La Farge area due to the severity and wide spectrum of losses.
In the town of Stark, by La Farge, nine roads were closed, the town hall and recycling center received extensive damage and damage estimates at the Kickapoo Reserve are expected to exceed the August 2007 totals.
In the village of Readstown no total damage estimate was reported, but figures are expected to reach the million dollar mark or more with 10-15 homes majorly damaged, along with road, bridge and park repairs. The USH 14/61 bridge over the Kickapoo River was closed on Sunday after flood waters reached record proportions.
In the village of Ontario flood waters did not break previous records, but caused extensive damage to the community. The flood affected 30 homes, leaving them with 1-5 feet of water in their basements. Roadways and riverways were completely obiterated to the tune of $500,000 and Wild Cat State Park damages are expected to exceed $300,000. The fire department is also looking at $15-20,000 in repairs and clean-up costs.
The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Saturday, June 14, that federal disaster aid has been made available for the state of Wisconsin to help people and communities recover from the effects of severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding beginning on June 5, 2008, and continuing.
The assistance, to be coordinated by FEMA, can include grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other serious disaster-related expenses. Low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration also will be available to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance.
Federal funding also is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties within the state.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by registering online at http://www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.
Assistance for Affected Individuals and Families Can Include as Required:
Rental payments for temporary housing for those whose homes are unlivable. Initial assistance may be provided for up to three months for homeowners and at least one month for renters. Assistance may be extended if requested after the initial period based on a review of individual applicant requirements. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)
Grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)
Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs. (Source: FEMA funded at 75 percent of total eligible costs; 25 percent funded by the state.)
Unemployment payments up to 26 weeks for workers who temporarily lost jobs because of the disaster and who do not qualify for state benefits, such as self-employed individuals. (Source: FEMA funded; state administered.)
Low-interest loans to cover residential losses not fully compensated by insurance. Loans available up to $200,000 for primary residence; $40,000 for personal property, including renter losses. Loans available up to $1.5 million for business property losses not fully compensated by insurance. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)
Loans up to $1.5 million for small businesses that have suffered disaster-related cash flow problems and need funds for working capital to recover from the disaster's adverse economic impact. This loan in combination with a property loss loan cannot exceed a total of $1.5 million. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)
Loans up to $500,000 for farmers, ranchers and aquaculture operators to cover production and property losses, excluding primary residence. (Source: Farm Service Agency, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.)
Other relief programs: Crisis counseling for those traumatized by the disaster; income tax assistance for filing casualty losses; advisory assistance for legal, veterans benefits and social security matters.
Assistance for the State and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:
Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state, tribal and local governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)
How to Apply for Assistance:
Those in the counties designated for assistance to affected residents and business owners can begin the disaster application process by registering online at http://www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers are available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice. Applicants registering for aid should be prepared to provide basic information about themselves (name, permanent address, phone number), insurance coverage and any other information to help substantiate losses.
Application procedures for local governments will be explained at a series of federal/state applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are paid through the state from funding provided by FEMA and other participating federal agencies.
All stories copyright 2006 Westby Times and other attributed sources.