Update: Governor gets bird's-eye view of flooding to gauge damage

Bill Novak  —  6/11/2008 4:19 pm

Gov. Jim Doyle will assess flood damages in Soldiers Grove in Crawford County and in Mukwonago in Waukesha County Wednesday, trying to gauge how bad the situation across southern Wisconsin is before seeking a federal disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Administration.

The governor will fly with the Wisconsin National Guard over flood-ravaged counties as well, with damages stretching from the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan.

The updated situation report from Wisconsin Emergency Management said county emergency management officials are just starting to gather damage assessment reports.

The reports might need to be changed after Thursday because a cold front coming from the west could bring up to four inches of rain and severe weather to the affected areas, according to the National Weather Service.

About three dozen portions of state highways have been shut down due to flooding, including a stretch of I-94 at the Rock River in Jefferson County, where the river water is lapping at the base of the westbound bridge and is only 15 inches below the eastbound bridge.

Water is rising under the Interstate 90/94 bridge at Wisconsin 23 in Sauk County, with detour plans in the works if either highway needs to be closed. Eight message boards are being set up in the area to assist motorists in taking detours if necessary.

Another major highway, I-43 in Mukwonago in Waukesha County, might have to be closed if the Phantom Lake dam fails. The dam has water going over the top and is starting to seep through the left abutment.

With dams failing or on the verge of failing throughout southern Wisconsin, the Department of Natural Resources asked the governor's office to issue executive orders to speed up dam inspections and to make repairs to bridges and culverts.

The dam order would allow officials to inspect dams for structural integrity and potential safety problems without getting permission from dam owners, while the bridge and culvert order would suspend the required 30-day public notice period for culvert and bridge permits,
allowing for on-site waterway permits to be issued.

According to White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, President Bush called Gov. Jim Doyle, Governor Chet Culver of Iowa and Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana Wednesday from Rome to express his concern with the ongoing flooding in those states. Bush "told the governors he was confident that the good people of their states will make it through this difficult time."

Bush was updated on the flood relief efforts in the region and assured the governors that federal government resources will continue to be made available to their states, Perino said.

FEMA inspectors are in Wisconsin Wednesday, preparing to go with Wisconsin officials to make damage assessments beginning Thursday in Sauk, Columbia, Milwaukee, Vernon and Crawford counties.

The American Red Cross assessed damages in La Farge in Vernon County, discovering most homes on the west side of the village are flooded.

About 10 people in La Farge are staying at a Red Cross shelter set up in the village. Water and cleanup kits are being distributed by the Red Cross in La Farge, Kendall, Ontario and Viola.

In Spring Green, about 30 homes have been evacuated, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

Various agencies are assessing how to fix the Lake Delton breach, which drained the lake Monday. The fix of the massive breach, which washed out County A for several hundred feet, could take all summer.

Bill Novak  —  6/11/2008 4:19 pm