EMERGENCY FLOODING NOTICE

FOR CITY OF FORT ATKINSON

UPDATED JUNE 16, 2008 – 3:00 p.m.

NOTICE:  Items highlighted with in red are new since the last update.

The City of Fort Atkinson has issued an emergency flooding notice to the following residents living along or near the Rock and Bark Rivers:

1.         Everyone east of East Street and Zida Street.

2.         Residents along Rock River from South Water Street/East Milwaukee Avenue to Sherman Avenue from east City limits to pedestrian bridge.

3.         Everything east of Wilcox Street from Sherman Avenue to Fourth Street, east of High Street from Fourth Street to Ralph Street, and east of the Union Pacific Railroad from Ralph Street to the City limits.

4.         From Wilson Avenue to the west on Riverside Drive

The U.S.G.S. now forecasts the Rock River flood stage will be at 10.7-feet on Friday June 20.  The normal flood stage is at six-feet (6’), the moderate flood stage at seven-feet (7’), and major flood stage at eight-feet (8’).  At 9:40 a.m. on Monday, June 16, the water level was at 10.13-feet.  Residents along this area should be prepared to evacuate their residences on short notice, as the river will continue to rise.  Residents who choose to remain in flooded areas do so at their own risk.  Residents may experience flooding and lack of utilities including loss of electricity.  Street closures may impede emergency services reaching your property.  The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department has set up a phone line with an updated listing of street/road closures.  The phone number for this listing is 674-8648.  The Jefferson County website has detailed flooding information as well http://www.co.jefferson.wi.us/jc/public/jchome.php.

The Red Cross opened an emergency shelter at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church at 1660 Endl Boulevard at noon on Thursday, June 12.  They ask that clients bring a pillow, blanket, medications and important phone numbers.  Pets are not allowed in the emergency shelters (unless Certified Service Animals).  There is a listing at the Fire Department (563-7795) where pets may be kept.  The Red Cross may be reached at 920-563-3055, or 920-723-1309. 

Also, the VyMac Corp. (Verlo), 201 North Main Street, is offering space to those businesses that need a place to store items during this emergency.  They may be contacted at 568-3100.

Sand bags are available at the Fort Atkinson Fire Department, and sand is available free of charge at the following locations:

1.         The parking lot at the former Thomas Industry building along North Main Street.

2.         The parking lot at the Fort Atkinson Middle School on South High Street.

3.         The Department of Public Works at 700 James Place between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For questions regarding the proper way to sand bag, go to the following website:

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ageng/safety/ae626w.htm.

If there are people who would like to volunteer to help with the sand bagging project, they can report to the sand pile locations at the former Thomas Industry building (700 block of North Main), or the Middle School (South High and South Fourth Street) and check with those filling bags as to where they might be needed.  Please bring along your own shovel if possible.  The Fort Atkinson Chamber of Commerce is assisting in organizing volunteers.  Call 920-563-3210.

Boxes are also available for people to pick up at the Fire Department for use in storing items.  These boxes have been donated by Wisconsin Packaging.

A map showing street closures appears at the end of this document.

For your safety, please avoid areas of high water including residential streets.

With the downtown parking lots behind City Hall flooded, North Water Street West will be closed for City use, as well as access to the water and electrical operations.  You may park on the street on the north side of the river.  The two-hour parking restrictions will not be enforced until after the flood waters recede. 

The City would also like to request that residents as well as businesses and industries try to conserve water the best they can, as to reduce the amount of water being discharged to the Wastewater Utility. Those property owners who have sump pumps, should also make sure that the sump pumps are discharging into their yard or the street, and not into the sanitary sewer.

The City has also been notified by Badger Basements, that they have basement pumps available to loan out to at no charge.  They have 100 pumps to loan out and will be allowing one per household.  These pumps will available at their business office at N1646 U.S.H. 12 (toward Whitewater) from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.   

The City is doing everything possible to maintain our Wastewater Treatment Plant and to provide safe water.  Our largest industrial waste dischargers are ceasing operations today and will be on a day-to-day basis.  Our Water Utility is sampling daily to ensure clean and safe water.  If we receive a bacteria contamination, we are prepared to chlorinate the system and kill the bacteria. 

The City compost site is closed, as the street going to it is impassible due to flooding. 

WeEnergies has advised they are turning electricity and natural gas off on an individual basis.  They are NOT turning utilities off in whole sections of the City. 

With the various road closures, please be patient as traffic volumes on open streets are increasing. 

We are starting to prepare for clean-up operations.  This will include disposal of sand bags and home furnishings which have been damaged during flooding.  We will keep you updated as information is available.

Your emergency response team has been meeting for the last week, and will continue to meet daily monitoring the flooding situation.

The Parks & Recreation Department will be updating the status of their various programs on their website, which is www.fortparksandrec.com. 

The City will be posting updates on its website at www.fortatkinsonwi.net.

Below is a notice from WeEnergies, the local electric and gas utility, regarding flooding concerns.

** NEWS ALERT **

 

We Energies urges extreme caution as flooding can cause electrical and natural gas appliance concerns

 

To be safe, customers with basement or other flooding should assume that basement flood water is energized. Walking through a wet or flooded basement can be dangerous. Never walk through a flooded basement until electricity is disconnected. Even a small amount of water on a basement floor can put you at risk for electrocution. While electricity often is needed to run sump pumps and wet/dry vacuums to remove water, the risk of electrical shock is too great. Safety experts suggest using a generator to power your sump pump or wet/dry vacuum instead. Generators also come with safety concerns, so learn more about generator safety before operating one. Never run extension cords through water. If there is standing water in your home, call us at 800-662-4797 to disconnect power before you step into any standing water. Once the power is disconnected, it’s safer to begin clean up activities. Be sure to have a certified electrician inspect your system for damage before calling us to be reconnected. Flooding near natural gas appliances (furnace, water heater, etc.) should have the natural gas to the appliance shut off by use of the shutoff valve required to each individual appliance. Another option is to contact We Energies to arrange to have the gas service turned off. Standing water can extinguish pilot lights on water heaters and furnaces. If this occurs, natural gas may continue to be released and could collect in your home, creating great risks. If your basement floods, call us at 800-261-5325 to have your home’s natural gas service turned off. After the water recedes, have your furnace and water heater inspected by a professional. Then call us to have the service turned back on. Shutting off your natural gas and electric service during times of flooding is done for safety. We do not charge you to turn off service when flooding occurs or to turn it on after cleanup. For safety reasons, remember to have your electrical system and natural gas-operated equipment checked for water damage before contacting We Energies for restoration of service. We Energies media representatives are available to discuss this matter with your radio audience. Feel free to contact us at 414-221-4444. We Energies serves more than 1.1 million electric customers in Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and more than 1 million natural gas customers in Wisconsin. Its electricity prices are approximately seven percent below the national average. We Energies is the trade name of Wisconsin Electric Power Company and Wisconsin Gas LLC, the principal utility subsidiaries of Wisconsin Energy Corporation (NYSE: WEC). Visit the We Energies Web site at www.we-energies.com. Learn more about Wisconsin Energy Corporation by visiting www.wisconsinenergy.com.