Clark County Press, Neillsville, Clark, WI

November 3, 2010, Page 2

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Clark County receives disaster declaration

By Peter Spicer

Clark County was one of nine counties to recently receive a Federal Disaster Declaration, which will allow the county to receive federal funding to pay for public damage due to this fall’s flooding.

After area flooding in September, Clark County Emergency Management Department Director Michelle Hartness stated $874,604 of public sector damage and $300,000 of individual sector or damage occurred.

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle had declared a State of Emergency for Clark County Sept. 23; the Clark County Board of Supervisors approved at an Oct. 1 meeting a Clark County Disaster Declaration resolution proclaiming emergency conditions exist because of flooding that began Sept. 23.  The county requested state assistance and advised the state about the county’s emergency conditions.

Clark and Jackson County Highway Commissioner Randy Anderson reported the Clark County highway system sustained $50,000 in estimated damage.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced President Barack Obama issued a major disaster declaration for Wisconsin Oct. 21 that FEMA stated is “triggering the release of federal funds to help communities recover from severe storms and flooding, which occurred Sept. 22 to Oct. 9, 2010.

Along with Clark County, Buffalo, Jackson, Juneau, Marathon, Portage, Taylor, Trempealeau and Wood counties all received disaster declarations.  The state suffered over $7.42 million in public infrastructure damage.

Clark County could receive approximately $700,000 of funding, said Hartness; FEMA will provide 75 percent of eligible costs, while state and local agencies will each pay 12.5 percent of the costs.

The funds could pay for debris removal; emergency protective measures; road systems and bridges; water control facilities; public buildings and contents; public utilities; and parks, recreational and other.

Clark County will not receive assistance for private property damage, because the county did not meet FEMA’s threshold of 25 destroyed homes, said Hartness.

FEMA met with Clark County municipalities that applied for assistance Friday, Oct. 29; FEMA will then investigate what was repaired and what needs to be repaired in Clark County, said Hartness.

The U. S. Housing and Urban development Department (HUD) also announced it will provide disaster assistance to the nine state counties who received disaster declarations.

HUD announced it will speed federal disaster assistance to those counties and provide support to home-owners, and low income renters forced from their homes following the severe storms and flooding last month.

“Families who may have been forced from their homes need to know help is available to begin the rebuilding process,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.  “Whether it’s foreclosure relief for FHA-insured families or helping these counties to recover, HUD stands ready to help in any way we can.”

HUD is offering the state the ability to re-allocate existing federal resources toward disaster relief, granting immediate foreclosure relief, making mortgage insurance available, making insurance available for both mortgages and home rehabilitation, and offering Section 108 loan guarantee assistance.

For more information, visit HUD’s Website at www.hud.gov.