Governor Visits as Fremont Battles Floods
- Governor Tony Evers visited Fremont as residents and crews continue battling widespread floodwaters. - Officials expect floodwaters near Fremont to crest early next week, officials say. - State and local response efforts are ongoing, with long-term impacts to roads and property (nbc26.com).
Gov. Tony Evers visited Fremont on Saturday as residents kept filling sandbags and officials warned floodwaters there are still rising. (nbc26.com) NBC 26 reported sandbagging at the Fremont town hall had shifted to a third location this week, and some volunteers had been working there for three days. Evers toured the damage and the flood-prevention effort in the village. (nbc26.com) Residents told the station the flooding is uneven from one side of town to another, with parts of Fremont looking normal while land across the river is submerged. The Blue Top Resort and Campground was completely flooded, according to owner Reid Raschke. (nbc26.com) The state response widened on April 15, when Evers signed Executive Order 289 declaring a statewide emergency after severe storms and record rainfall that began April 13. The order directed state agencies to assist and authorized Wisconsin National Guard support for response and recovery. (docs.legis.wisconsin.gov) Fremont’s fight is part of a broader flood emergency across central and northeastern Wisconsin. Wisconsin Emergency Management said it elevated the State Emergency Operations Center for the April storms, signaling a coordinated state response as local agencies dealt with flooding, evacuations and damage. (wem.wi.gov) Downstream and nearby communities were facing the same pressure by midweek. In New London on April 15, Waupaca County officials said flooding had turned “critical,” crews were going door to door, and the Red Cross was helping displaced residents at a shelter at the Washington Center gym, 500 W. Washington Street. (nbc26.com) Officials in Fremont said they expect waters near the village to crest early next week, which means road damage, flooded properties and cleanup costs may keep growing even after the water stops rising. Wisconsin health officials say floods are the state’s most common and costly natural disasters. (nbc26.com) (dhs.wisconsin.gov) For now, Fremont is still in the response phase: sandbags, closed-off areas and neighbors helping neighbors while they wait for the river to peak. Evers said in Fremont that residents’ resilience stood out even as some homes were already destroyed. (nbc26.com)
