Dane County Assists with Spring Melt

March 14, 2019
J. McLellan 608 / 267-2542
Emergency Management

 

Dane County has been assisting municipal governments deal with rising waters.  With temperatures in the mid-fifties and still frozen ground, local municipalities have been dealing with swollen waterways due to spring melt.  Dane County Emergency Management staff have been visiting local governments across the county assisting municipal staff with response issues and coordinating assistance from Dane County departments. 

 

The Black Earth Creek has flooded portions of Mazomanie.  Only two occupied homes have been affected.  Village staff, the Mazomanie Fire Department, and many local volunteers have been filling and stacking sandbags throughout the village.  Mazomanie Public Works Director Mark Geisler has been supervising operations and coordinating sandbag placement with village residents.  Mazomanie Village Administrator Perter Huebner has been helping fill and place sandbags. 

 

As of 3:00pm this afternoon, no homes in Black Earth were being affected by flowing water from Black Earth Creek.  Many homes were seeing ground water seeping into basements.  The Village of Black Earth has distributed over 1,000 filled sandbags to residents.

 

The Village of DeForest is supporting a voluntary evacuation of residences on five streets.  Evacuees are going to the DeForest Senior Center, 505 North Main where the American Red Cross is waiting to help.

 

Dane County has provided sandbags to the Villages of Mazomanie, Black Earth, Towns of Bristol and Dunn, and 80,000 sandbags to the City of Madison.  Citizens should work with their local government if they need sandbags. 

 

There are numerous municipal and county roads closed due to high water.  A current listing of closed county roads can be found on Dane County Emergency Management’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/danecountyem/).  The listing is updated as information becomes available. 

 

SAFETY – Snow and ice will continue to melt as long as temperatures stay above freezing.  This can cause water to pool and potentially cover roadways throughout the night.  Drivers must SLOW DOWN!  Turn around don’t drown.  Do not go around barricades.   Rural roads can be especially dangerous because of limited visibility.

 

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