President Bush declared two more Wisconsin counties disaster areas Monday, as emergency officials warned of dangers lurking in floodwater plaguing the state.

Forecasts called for dry weather through the week. But various rivers across the southern part of the state remained under a flood warning, and flooding continued to take its toll on travelers even as federal officials opened their first disaster recovery center in Reedsburg on Monday and highway travel improved west and north of Madison.

Disaster declarations

Gov. Jim Doyle said Racine and Richland counties were added to the five counties previously declared disasters — Columbia, Crawford, Milwaukee, Sauk and Vernon counties.

That means unemployed or self-employed residents can apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance as well as other financial aid.

Federal Emergency Management Agency inspectors will be in Dane County on Thursday to develop preliminary damage estimates. Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk said the county has suffered almost $36 million in damage, including agricultural losses of $28 million.

Sewage releases

Janesville City Manager Steve Sheiffer said sewage systems in Fort Atkinson and Jefferson had bypassed overwhelmed treatment plants, releasing sewage into the Rock River. Tests showed water is contaminated with E. coli bacteria and chloroform, which can make people ill, Sheiffer said. Anyone who touches it should scrub with soap and water.

"That water is full of sewage. Seriously full of sewage," Sheiffer said.

State Department of Natural Resources recreation safety Warden Jon King said there had been "at least 150" such releases of sewage because of flooding, but the DNR wouldn't have complete figures for some time because municipalities are given a week to report them.

State Journal reporter Patricia Simms and The Associated Press contributed to this report.