MONROE — In well-timed unison, the National Weather Service’s Flood Safety Awareness Week and a statewide emergency declaration by Gov. Tony Evers on Friday coincided as residents worked to hold off historic flooding levels in both Green and Lafayette counties.
Flood warnings were issued throughout the weekend as places like Martintown, Browntown and Darlington were threatened by the overflowing Pecatonica River.
Green County Emergency Management Director Tanna McKeon said Monday that Martintown reached a historic crest not seen in nearly three decades. Water rose roughly a foot higher than the 1990 historic numbers of 21 feet, McKeon said.
She added that people who live along the Pecatonica River on West River Road and Babler Road have reported damage to their homes. However, she has also received reports of flooding from residents near Brodhead and Albany.
A post on the GCEM Facebook page called for business and home owners to contact the department to report damages. Though GCEM does not currently know whether financial assistance will be provided in the future, McKeon said, it is important everyone reports damage to help officials appeal at both the state and federal level for funding assistance. Individuals should keep receipts of any repairs and take photos of water lines inside and outside of the building and any items which have to be thrown in the garbage as a result of water damage, she added.
“If we don’t hear from people, we can’t report how bad things are,” McKeon said, noting that the emergency declaration was a positive sign toward state aid being given out later.
There are also free cleaning kits available for pickup from the Green County Sheriff’s Office, she said.
Road closures were reported throughout the weekend as well. As of noon Monday, Decatur-Albany Road, portions of Ten Eyck Road near Brodhead, Town Center Road west of County T, W. River Road, Bartlet Road and Martintown Road all remained closed.
Zurfluh Road, from Fiedler Road to Schneeberger Road, was closed to a buckling of the asphalt. Schneeberger was also the location of an emergency rescue late Friday. McKeon said there were four emergency rescues conducted over the weekend, which were all the result of drivers not adhering to barricades set up by workers.
In Darlington, the flooding prompted a visit by 51st District Rep. Todd Novak on Sunday. Along with Abby Haas, director of Lafayette County Economic Development & Tourism, Sheriff Reg Gill and Darlington Police Chief Jason King, Novak took in the site of the worst flood since 1993 within the city. The crest reached nearly 18 feet.
In Blanchardville, the rare sight of a few inches of water flowed over Main Street. Water was trapped in a parking lot on the northwest side of the street near the bridge. The flow was next to local business Paint and Rust Mercantile and spilled onto the street.
As of 10:40 a.m. Monday, the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office was reporting that roads were still closed, including County K between Red Road and Ames Road, County D and County N, from Wisconsin 11 to Jennings Road along County N, west of Otter Creek Road along Wildcat Road, From County C to King Road along Ferndale Road, Pecatonica Road, Cisserville Road throughout the county until County MM in Green County, S. Lake Road at Lake Road, Powell Road, Larse Road, Crist Lane, County B and Mayer Road and Walnut Road.
Across the southern border, the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office was also grappling with 29 road closures as of 9:30 a.m. on Monday. Only six closures were reported as reopened.
“All the counties are looking at a lot of damaged roads,” McKeon said.
As water begins to recede, though it remains high, McKeon noted that the next steps will be to ensure business and home owners receive whatever aid available to recover the cost of property lost during the emergency.
