MADISON (NBC 26) — Gov. Tony Evers declared a state of emergency Friday for Waupaca, Outagamie, Winnebago, and Calumet counties following recent flooding.
“Communities in Northeastern Wisconsin are still recovering from abrupt flooding that endangered lives and damaged infrastructure,” Evers said in a news release. “We’re working to ensure folks and communities have the support the state can make available to help rebuild, restore, and recover quickly by getting relief to those impacted.”
Heavy rain caused an embankment near the Manawa Dam to erode on July 5. The dam itself did not collapse, but it is severely damaged. The dam's partial failure drained a local millpond, which has impacted the real estate market. The city's largest park is also closed for the season.
The National Weather Service reported four to six inches of rain fell in Waupaca County last Friday, the release said. Manawa was dumped on with 5.7 inches of rain. About one to four inches of rain fell across parts of Outagamie and Calumet counties.
The governor's office says Wisconsin Emergency Management has been working with the affected counties to assess damage and determine the resources needed to speed up the clean-up process.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is working with nursing homes to ensure the health and safety of the elderly, the release said.
"The governor’s declaration allows DHS to pay for extraordinary expenses that can arise when a facility is evacuated, like a portion of the cost of temporary housing or emergency nursing home repairs," the release said.
More about the governor's state of emergency can be found here.
