Northwoods residents stranded after flooding

Residents in northern Wisconsin are grappling with the aftermath of extreme storms and flooding that swept through the area earlier this week, leaving two dead.

Main roads in several counties are still closed, including U.S. 2, State 13 and U.S. 63, and chances are they will not reopen anytime soon.

State and county engineers will be out evaluating damage to bridges and roads over the next few days.

"We want to make sure we're making these roadways are as safe as possible, as soon as possible," said Diana Maas, spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation's northwest region. "We're out there actively working to resolve as many issues as possible, and many other roadways are open already."

Gov. Scott Walker on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in eight northern Wisconsin counties — Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Iron, Sawyer, Washburn and Price counties — after torrential rains flooded parts of the area, causing two fatalities, closing roads, destroying a harbor and washing out multiple roads.

Maas said the main corridors of U.S. 2, State 15 and U.S. 63 are a major concern.

According to Maas, repairs on State 13 will take the longest, up to 5 months. Two bridges near Highbridge in Ashland County were washed out and significantly damaged. The agency is hopeful an alternate route on county highways can be used in a couple weeks until the bridges on the highway can be replaced.

A bridge on U.S. 63 also was significantly damaged near Grand View in Bayfield County. The state is working on terms to hire an emergency contractor by Monday. The highway will be closed for about a month, and there are no reasonable alternative routes in that area, according to Maas.

Water levels on U.S. 2, which passes through Ashland, Bayfield and Iron counties, are too high to assess the damage right now, she said. Officials suspect the damage is minimal and that the road will reopen in a few weeks.

"We're hopeful the water will go down by the end of the week and we'll be able to fully assess the damage," said Maas.

In Ashland County, the U.S. Coast Guard continues to patrol Saxon Harbor and monitor stranded boats, which were destroyed by the storms. About 85 boats and 100 boat slips were damaged or destroyed, according to the Wisconsin Emergency Operations Center.

The town of Gurney in Iron County is working to rebuild seven area roads that were washed out.

Town Chairman Tom Innes said about four families are stranded in their rural homes as a result of the washed out road. Inness said two of the homes are located off of State 169 between two creeks, where the roads are impassable.

Officials were trying to reach them through a back way Thursday morning, according to Innes.

Wisconsin Emergency Management said in a report that the National Guard transported five patients by helicopter from the Bad River Reservation to a dialysis center in Ashland. Gas and electricity service to the reservation is in the process of being restored.

The extent of the damage is still being assessed. The Department of Transportation is working with the governor's office and the state Department of Administration, as well as the Federal Highway Administration, to secure relief funding.

Sandbagging efforts continue in Hayward as Silver Creek continues to rise and water crested over Highway 63 in downtown Hayward.

Congressman Sean Duffy and Senator Ron Johnson sent a letter to the President on Thursday asking for disaster assistance in northern Wisconsin.

"We understand that the Governor may seek additional Federal resources to ensure an effective response beyond what capabilities the State and local governments can provide," they wrote. "If so, we urge you to promptly review the request for assistance for the State of Wisconsin."

Following are the damage estimates for counties assessed so far by the Wisconsin Emergency Management.

» Douglas County: about $602,800 in damage and repair costs from flooding of roads, bridges and public buildings.

» Sawyer County: about $70,000 in minor damage reported to 15 homes, and $365,000 to public infrastructure, including roads and bridges.

» Chippewa County: About $25,000 in damage was reported to one home. The damage was caused by a tornado that touched down near the O'Neil Creek Campground.