Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency, www.fema.gov

Major Flooding In August Hits 14 Wisconsin Counties

People in Wisconsin may share three big memories of the summer of 2007. The Milwaukee Brewers were in a pennant race. Mosquitoes seemed to be everywhere. August storms caused major floods.

The August floods ruined millions of dollars in property and forced hundreds of people from their homes. Some Wisconsin farmers lost all of their crops.

No one died because of the floods. However, lightning killed four people in Madison.

A month later, victims are cleaning and fixing their flooded homes and businesses. Many must make plans to rebuild.

Insurance companies and the U.S. government are helping some flood victims. Others wait for help.

14 counties can apply for aid
People in 14 Wisconsin counties may apply for special funds called federal disaster assistance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, also called FEMA, is offering aid.

President Bush declared the counties to be federal disaster areas. This is the first step to get FEMA aid.

The floods were in Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Kenosha, La Crosse, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk and Vernon Counties.

Three government groups are in charge of aid. The biggest is FEMA. It gives emergency money for short-term housing, repairs and health care.

As of September 17, FEMA received 3,598 aid requests from people in the 14 counties. FEMA workers inspected almost 3,000 homes, a spokesperson said. FEMA already approved more than $5 million in housing aid.

Residents of the 14 counties have until October 25 to ask FEMA for aid. The agency closed its Wisconsin disaster centers September 18.

Other help is provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration, also called the SBA. The SBA lends money at low cost to pay for home and business losses not paid for by insurance. FEMA aid is free. It is not a loan.

As of September 17, the SBA approved $761,000 in emergency loans in the 14 counties. A FEMA spokesperson said the SBA staff plan to stay in the 14 counties.

Wisconsin Emergency Management is the third agency offering aid. A staff person works in each of the 14 counties and reports on the damage.

Worst flooding occurred in Crawford County
The worst flooding hit Crawford County in southwestern Wisconsin. The Kickapoo River overflowed. It flooded the villages of Soldiers Grove, Gay Mills and Steuben. Residents of Gay Mills had to leave the area by boat.
The nearby Bad Axe River also flooded.

Several dams in Vernon County overflowed. The state Department of Natural Resources moved nearby residents to safety.

Roads, bridges and railroad tracks washed out in the 14 counties. The media reported that a train derailed due to flooding.

Many areas lost electricity and telephone service.

The flooding was one of the worst natural disasters in state history.

"Dramatic floods swept through Eau Claire in 1880, Chippewa Falls in 1884, Black River Falls in 1911, LaPointe in 1918, and the lower Wisconsin in the spring of 1965." That information is on the Wisconsin Historical Society's Web site.

People in the 14 counties still can register for disaster relief at www.fema.gov. The toll-free phone number is 1-800-621- 3362 or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. Operators take calls daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Prepare to give your name, address, phone number, and the name of your insurance company. Also have photos and insurance estimates as proof of your loss from the floods.