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The Houston County Emergency Management office announced Wednesday the Federal Emergency Management Agency had begun individual and public assistance assessments of damage from the weekend flooding.
FEMA already had four assessment teams in Houston, Winona and Fillmore counties by Wednesday. Five more teams are expected to arrive today, FEMA spokesperson Melynda Petrie said.
A variety of federal funding becomes available if President Bush declares the region a disaster area. That hasn’t happened yet, but Bush said Tuesday at a fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman in Minneapolis that “a flood of help” will come, including possible housing assistance and aid for small businesses. That would be a rare bit of good news in Hokah, Minn., which was hit hard by the flood.
The Junction Inn on the community’s north end, is a total loss, owner Frank Kimball said.
“Basically, everything is gone,” Kimball said. “We pretty much have to start from ground zero.”
Water already was rushing through the doors when the bar was evacuated early Sunday just after midnight, Kimball said.
The flooding floated the walk-in cooler off the ground outside the bar, and lifted the roof and ripped off the building’s back wall.
Anything not more than 6 feet off the floor was damaged by water, Kimball said.
At Tri State Auto Outlet across the road, almost all of the approximately 60 vehicle on the lot was damaged,
owner Dean Plantz said. Some were smashed together by the rushing waters, and two still are buried in mud in a nearby field.
“Everything is a total loss,” Plantz said.
The business office had 2 inches of water on the floor.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have insurance on the building,” Plantz said.
Joann Brickman, a Hokah resident whose backyard trees and other fixtures were washed away, was reticent to sign up for disaster relief.
“I don’t want to take away from someone who needs it more,” Brickman said.
Brickman, who owns the local salon Hair Haven, said her house wasn’t damaged.
But her niece, Christine Miller, also of Hokah, had her basement cave in, and the house could fall as well.
“It’s so sad,” Brickman said. “She and her fiance, Ben Novak, just bought that house a year ago. They’re getting married a week from Saturday.”
Agency may be in Wisconsin by Tuesday
Federal Emergency Management Agency officials could be in Wisconsin by Tuesday to assess areas hit by flash flooding and storm damage, said state Sen. Dan Kapanke, R-La Crosse.
Gov. Jim Doyle has declared a state of emergency in La Crosse, Vernon, Crawford, Richland and Sauk counties, and asked President Bush to declare a disaster area so federal assistance can help governments, businesses and people who have damage.
Kapanke, who spent Wednesday visiting families affected by the flooding, said he believes flood damage estimates so far are low. Kapanke said he and his office staff will be out today helping people clean up flood damage.
Lori Getter, a spokeswoman for Wisconsin Emergency Management, said FEMA crews will be in the area Tuesday or Wednesday to assess the damage. They’re waiting for flood waters to recede, she said.
A federal disaster declaration would make the area eligible for grants and low-interest loans, she said.
Getter urged that individuals not contact FEMA before the disaster declaration because they’ll be told they don’t qualify for help. “We urge people to be patient. We know their world’s been turned upside down,” Getter said. “We need to make sure we’ve got all our t’s crossed.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Ryan Stotts can be reached at (608) 791-8446 or ryan.stotts@lee.net.
