Area towns desperate for aid after flood damage

One town has $432,000 in damages, which is its entire annual budget

Local governments are desperate for word on assistance from the state and feds for dealing with the heavy rains and flooding that inundated the area in September.  

The town of Wheatland is among those places looking at giant bills to repair local infrastructure.  Right around $432,000 currently, which is about the size of the town’s entire annual budget.

“We need to do something,” Don Stokke, the town board supervisor, said. “We can’t leave the roads in despair. Hopefully FEMA steps in and helps us out.”

Nearly $21 million in public and private damage has been tallied in the dozen counties hit by rain and floods. Nearly half of that damage occurred in Vernon County.  

“It’s worse than the 100-year floods we had in 2008,” Stokke said. “There are a lot of big mudslides. Roads washed out. Damages to bridges. Yeah, it’s overwhelming. I’ve been here all my life and seen stuff I’ve never seen before.”

Without federal help, Stokke said the town will likely have to borrow to fix roads and bridges damaged in the flooding.  

“If (FEMA doesn’t) do anything, we’ll have to do something,” Stokkes said. “The state will step in, I’m sure, but if not, we’ll have to do some type of financing.”

The September storm dumped up to 7 inches of rain on already saturated ground, which led to the floods and two deaths.

Wheatland had two bridges washed out and several roads damaged by flooding. The last of those roads finally reopened just last week.