Storm State of Emergency Press Releases
SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 (2:30 PM)
City of Waupun officials have been meeting regularly with Dodge and Fond du Lac County Emergency Management teams since declaring a state of emergency on August 28, 2018. On that day, tornado sirens were activated and there was a tornado touchdown confirmed on Hemp Road near Waupun. According to the National Weather Service in Sullivan, WI, the damage the city experienced was due to straight line winds.
City crews continue to focus on cleanup from the storm event. Waupun Public Utilities is working to make final repairs to stabilize local infrastructure. Waupun Department of Public Works (DPW) crews continue to pick up brush and debris set curbside and plan to continue this service until further notice. DPW crews have also been able to start cleanup and repair to city facilities. Dumpsters to dispose of household items damaged in the storm have been discontinued. However, the City of Waupun will hold their annual bulk pickup on October 8, 9 and 10. Resident areencouraged to take advantage of that service by placing remaining damaged items curbside on their normally scheduled garbage pickup day during that time period.
Emergency Management and City Hall staff continue to gather data. That information is being submitted to County Emergency Management teams who will file applications for disaster relief with the State and/or FEMA. At this time, it is unclear whether the City of Waupun or Dodge or Fond du Lac counties will qualify for disaster relief funding.
2-1-1 has been the system that was used to track damage and to request help. If residents have not reported damage yet, they are encouraged to call 2-1-1 or visit the storm update page on www.cityofwaupun.org to access an online reporting form. All damage claims should be reported by September 19, 2018. The city’s storm update webpage also contains the latest information on programs to support home repairs needed as a result of the storm. Residents are first reminded to work with their insurance agent to facilitate repairs. If residents have pictures of downed trees or basement flooding that they are able to share, they are asked to drop copies of those pictures at City Hall, 201 E. Main Street, or email files to angie@cityofwaupun.org.
The City of Waupun will provide updates on an as needed basis and will maintain the storm update page on the city’s website to keep residents informed of the latest news and information on the recovery process.
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AUGUST 31, 2018 (6:30 PM)
Waupun, Wis. – As of 4:30 p.m. Friday, August 31, 2018, Waupun Public Utilities reports that electric service for all customers has been restored. Brush and debris cleanup continued today and will resume on Tuesday of next week. Residents can dispose of brush and debris this weekend by transporting it to the City Garage, located at 903 N Madison Street. There continues to be dumpsters at the City Garage to dispose of household items damaged by the storm.
Residents who need assistance with cleanup of storm damage are instructed to call 2-1-1 to report damage and request assistance. Groups who wish to volunteer should call 920-921-7010 to register and receive deployment information. If you receive voicemail, please leave a message and you will receive a return call.
Around 11:00 a.m. on Friday, August 31, 2018, city officials received an update from Fond du Lac County Emergency Management indicating that the National Weather Service in Sullivan had updated their forecast for the weekend and that Waupun and surrounding areas should expect rainfall of approximately 3 inches between now and Sunday with potential for locally heavier amounts. A flash flood watch is in effect and residents are encouraged to take proper precautions.
Sandbags are available for resident pickup at the City Garage located at 903 N Madison Street. Sand bags are available on a first come, first served basis and additional bags and sand will be available for residents to fill as needed.
The Department of Public Works requests citizen support in keeping storm inlets free of debris to minimize local flooding hazards. According to Jeff Daane, Director of Public Works, there is a lot of leaves and debris in the streets. If residents observe flooding near storm inlets, they can assist in controlling flooding by clearing debris from storm inlets.
The City of Waupun will provide updates on an as needed basis over the holiday weekend.
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AUGUST 31, 2018 (9:30 AM)
Residents who need assistance with cleanup of storm damage are instructed to call 2-1-1 to report damage and request assistance. The form that the City of Waupun provided to register requests is being discontinued at this time. All requests registered on that form have been forwarded to the proper channels to initiate the request for help. The United Way of Fond du Lac County is receiving all requests and deploying volunteers throughout the county to provide assistance. A specialized assistance team will be doing drive around assessments today so residents are encouraged to contact 2-1-1 as soon as possible to make their requests.
Groups who wish to volunteer should call the United Way at 920-921-7010 to register and receive deployment information. If you receive voicemail when you call, please leave a message and you will receive a return call. Groups are able to designate a specific service area that they wish to work within.
As of 4:30 a.m. on Friday, August 31, 2018, the National Weather Service in Sullivan provided an update regarding severe weather and flash flooding potential through this weekend. They report an increase in chances for severe weather, mainly tonight with damaging winds noted as the main threat on top of flash flooding potential. Sandbags are available for resident pickup at the City Garage located at 903 N Madison Street and residents are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Sand bags are available on a first come, first served basis and additional bags and sand will be available for residents to fill as needed.
The Department of Public Works requests citizen support in keeping storm inlets free of debris to minimize local flooding hazards. According to Jeff Daane, Director of Public Works, there is a lot of leaves and debris in the streets. If residents observe flooding near storm inlets, they can assist DPW in controlling flooding by clearing debris from storm inlets.
At 8:30 a.m. on Friday, August 31, 2018, the Waupun Public Utilities reports that a small number of homes are without power. Those homeowners are waiting for electricians to make repairs so that electrical service can be reconnected. Randy Posthuma, Waupun Public Utilities General Manager expects all customers to be back online by this afternoon. As part of a mutual aid response, Hartford Public Utilities returned to Waupun with specialized equipment early this morning and is working on final backyard repairs. Customers without power are reminded to call 920-324-7920 to report power outages.
The City of Waupun will provide their next update by 4 p.m. on Friday, August 31, 2018.
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AUGUST 30, 2018 (6:00 PM)
Official City of Waupun Press Release, August 30, 2018, 6:09 p.m. The City of Waupun launched a webpage today to provide a central location for the community to gather information and updates on storm cleanup. The page can be accessed by visiting www.cityofwaupun.org and clicking the storm updates banner.
Crews continued to make progress on clean up. Waupun Public Utilities plans to call for additional mutual aid on Friday, August 31, to complete electric system infrastructure repairs. At present, Gateway Drive remains closed due to localized flooding and one block of Franklin Street is closed due to needed communication system repairs. A shelter at the Brandon Elementary School, 200 West Bowen Street, Brandon remains open for residents who are unable to remain in their homes. Customers without power are reminded to call 920-324-9720 to report power outages.
The National Weather Service in Sullivan, WI reports that an additional .5 to 1.5 inches of rain is expected in our area over the next three days, with peak rainfall occurring in a 24-hour period between Friday and Saturday evenings. Additional rainfall could result in flooding. The Department of Public Works (DPW) is asking residents to assist in keeping storm water inlets free from storm debris. According to Jeff Daane, Director of Public Works (DPW), “even areas that don’t normally flood could experience flooding as a result of all the down debris, especially if storm waterinlets become blocked.” Sandbags will be available for resident pickup at the City Garage located at 903 N Madison Street, beginning on Friday, August 31. Additional bags and sand will be available for residents to fill as needed and residents are encouraged to monitor weather and take precautionary measures.
All residents of the City of Waupun who have damage to their property as a result of this disaster should call 2-1-1 to report the damage. At present, residents who are seeking assistance with cleanup can register their need on the storm update webpage found at www.cityofwaupun.org or by calling the City Hall at 920.324.7900. We continue to work with local agencies to determine the best way to connect volunteers to resident needs and will provide furtherupdate tomorrow.
The City of Waupun will provide their next update on Friday, August 31, 2018.
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AUGUST 30, 2018 - CITY ADMINISTRATOR RADIO UPDATE
Click here to listen to Kathy Schlieve, City Administrator give an update on Waupun's State of Emergency.
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AUGUST 30, 2018 (2:00 PM)
Waupun, Wis. – The City of Waupun continues to recover after declaring a state of emergency from Tuesday’s strong thunderstorms. As of this morning, an estimated ten residential customers remain without power and crews are working to troubleshoot those remaining issues with property owners. Randy Posthuma, General Manager of Waupun Public Utilities emphasized that the balance of the day will be spent on troubleshooting those issues and assessing the situation. He anticipates calling for additional mutual aid support from other public utilities in the WPPI network to return to Waupun tomorrow to further stabilize the system by addressing things such as broken utility pole replacement and branch removal from overhead lines. A shelter at the Brandon Elementary School, 200 West Bowen Street, Brandon remains open for residents who are unable to remain in their homes. Customers without power are reminded to call 920-324-9720 to report power outages.
As of this morning, Fond du Lac Street has reopened. Gateway Drive and a small portion of Franklin Street remain closed. Department of Public Works (DPW) crews are working on the north and northwest quadrants of the city on brush cleanup. Residents should continue to move brush curbside for pickup or can haul brush to the City Garage located at 903 N Madison Street. Dumpsters continue to be available to dispose of household items damaged by the storm and can be accessed at the City Garage.
The National Weather Service in Sullivan, WI reports that an additional .5 to 1.5 inches of rain is expected in our area over the next three days, with much of that rain falling in a period between Friday evening and Saturday. In anticipation of additional flooding, sandbags will be available at the City Garage on Friday, August 31 for resident pickup. Additional bags and sand will be available for residents to fill as needed and residents are encouraged to take precautionary measures.
All residents of the City of Waupun who have damage to their property as a result of this disaster should call 2-1-1 to report the damage. The city has had an increased call volume from homeowners seeking help with tree removal and repairs and is currently working to establish a way to match volunteers to need. Additional information on this need will be shared late afternoon today.
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AUGUST 29, 2018 (9:00 PM)
Our parks are awesome places but have recently experienced damage from numerous downed trees. Additionally, the river is currently flooded and fast moving. Both issues create safety concerns that we need to be mindful of. We’ve been hearing reports of children playing on park equipment filled with large and possibly shifting tree limbs, and other reports of people rafting in areas of the river with fast currents. Both situations create safety concerns. It will take time for city crews to cleanup and restore each of our parks and for river waters to recede. I am asking each of you to be mindful of present dangers and, if you have children, to closely supervise their play, keeping these concerns in mind. Thank you for keeping our community safe during this time!
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AUGUST 29, 2018 (4:30 PM)
Waupun, Wis. – The City of Waupun continues to recover after declaring a state of emergency from Tuesday’s strong thunderstorms. Crews from six different electric utilities joined Waupun Public Utilities staff to repair electric distribution lines in the community. According to Randy Posthuma, General Manager of Waupun Public Utilities, crews made significant progress today in repairing distribution lines and are now working to address individual outages. Crews will be visiting residences without power to assess issues and identify resolution. Many of the crews have been working since late yesterday afternoon when the storm hit. Crews will work until dusk today and then will be released to get much needed rest before returning at daybreak to resume work. Residents who are without power are reminded to contact Waupun Public Utilities at 920-324-7920 to report their outage. Several road closures within the city remain in place due to localized flooding and repairs. Residents are reminded that if they are unable to stay in their home, a shelter has been opened at Brandon Elementary School, 200 West Bowen Street, Brandon, WI. Information can be obtained by calling 920-324-7920. All residents of the City of Waupun who have damage to their property as a result of this disaster should call 2-1-1 to report the damage. We will be issuing an updated communication mid-morning on Thursday, August 30.
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AUGUST 29, 2018 (11:00 AM)
Waupun, Wis. – The City of Waupun declared a state of emergency after strong thunderstorms hit the area Tuesday afternoon. Initially power was lost to the entire city. As of this morning, crews have restored all but two main service lines within the city. Mutual aid from Columbus, Kaukauna and Manitowoc arrived last night to assist and additional crews from Hartford, Sun Prairie and Waunakee were brought in this morning. According to Randy Posthuma, General Manager of Waupun Public Utilities, the work that remains requires significant repairs before restoring service to the remaining customers without power. Crews will continue to work throughout the day to make the needed repairs. Once primary distribution lines are repaired, crews will begin to visit individual residences that are still without power to work to resolve outstanding issues. At the present time, Waupun Public Utilities estimates that service has been restored to ninety percent of the city. Residents without power should contact Waupun Public Utilities at 920-324-7920.
As of this morning all city streets have been cleared of debris with the exception of portions of Bly and Franklin Streets which remain closed due to downed trees and powerlines. Additionally, Fond du Lac Street is closed at the bridge near Gateway Drive and Spring Street due flood waters hitting the bridge deck, and Gateway Drive is closed due to localized flooding. At first daylight, the Department of Public Works began work on brush cleanup across the city. Residents may dispose of brush that resulted from storm damage by either transporting debris to the Waupun City Garage located at 903 N Madison Street or by piling debris in the terrace for pickup by city crews. DPW crews will focus on brush cleanup within all residential and commercial neighborhoods and then will begin work to cleanup city parks. Given the large amount of damage, we ask that you please be patient with the pickup process as we anticipate that full cleanup may take weeks to months to complete.
For those residents who experienced flooding or damage to their homes, residents are advised to take pictures and contact their insurance carrier. Additionally, all residents of the City of Waupun who have damage to their property as a result of this disaster should call 2-1-1 to report the damage. Advanced Disposal is locating dumpsters at the Waupun City Garage to dispose of household items damaged in the storm. Residents will need to transport damaged household items to the City Garage for disposal.
People wishing to volunteer should report to the Waupun Safety Building located at 16 E Main Street to register and to await instructions. We will be issuing an updated communication at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, August 29.
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AUGUST 29, 2018 (8:00 AM)
If you are still without power, please call Waupun Utilities at 324-7920. The curfew is over as of 6am this morning, so everyone can freely move in and out of the city. We now have barricades in place if the street is closed. If you are a City of Waupun resident and need to dispose of flooding items, you can use the dumpsters that are coming to our city garage located at 900 North Madison Street - I will post when they arrive. Anyone can dispose of brush, trees or leaves at the garage compost pile at anytime. The city crews will be coming around, but be patient as it will take a while. So please use the city dump if you can.
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AUGUST 29, 2018 (2:00 AM)
Waupun, Wis. – The City of Waupun has declared a state of emergency. At approximately 4 p.m. the city was hit by strong thunderstorms that were associated with a tornado warning. This continues to be a changing and still dangerous situation with downed trees and power lines. At this time, all substations are back online and power has been restored to seventy-percent of the City of Waupun. All critical need areas have power and crews will be working through the night to make the needed repairs to restore service to those customers without power. Waupun Public Utilities reports that all traffic signals are working in the city. At this time, we continue to evaluate overall safety of the community and are opening main roadways through the city. Crews will continue to work through the night and safety for all work crews and residents are the first priority. We are asking residents to continue with the curfew through Wednesday, August 29 at 6 a.m. The Emergency Operations Center is being moved to Waupun Fire Department and will be staffed through the night. A shelter has been opened by the American Red Cross at the Brandon Elementary School, 200 W. Bowen Street, Brandon. Anyone needing transportation to the shelter should call 2-1-1. All residents of Fond du Lac County who have damage to their property as a result of this disaster should also call 2-1-1 to report the damage. We will be issuing an updated communication at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, August 29.
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AUGUST 28, 2018 (10:16 PM)
Waupun, Wis. –The City of Waupun has declared a state of emergency. At approximately 4 p.m. the city was hit by strong thunderstorms that were associated with a tornado warning. This is a changing but still very dangerous situation. At this time, we are aware of a significant number of downed trees and powerlines. Citizens are reminded to stay clear of downed lines as they may still be energized. There are pockets of the city that have power restored, including Waupun Memorial Hospital and the wastewater treatment plant. Waupun Public Utility crews will continue to work through the night to restore power to as many customers as possible. It is likely that some customers will remain without power into tomorrow. At this point the Department of Public Works is reporting ninety-percent of city streets are open. Streets that are not open are a result of wires entangled in downed trees and those blockages will be addressed at daylight. The city has called for mutual aid and utility crews from Columbus, Kaukauna, and Manitowoc are onsite assisting with power restoration. Additionally, fire departments from Van Dyne, Lamartine, Ripon, Eldorado and Oakfield have responded with assistance. At this time, the curfew starting at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, August 28, remains in place until 6 a.m. on Wednesday, August 29. An Emergency Operations Center remains staffed through the night at Waupun Public Utilities and we will be issuing an updated communication at 12:00 a.m. on August 29.
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AUGUST 28, 2018 (9:18 PM)
Official press release from City of Waupun. The City of Waupun has declared a state of emergency and is seeking assistance from county and state resources. At approximately 4 p.m. the city was hit by strong thunderstorms that were associated with a tornado warning. Damage assessments are underway. We are aware that power is out throughout the city and there are downed power lines. Citizens are reminded to stay clear of downed lines as they may still be energized. It is recommended that if electronic devices are running low on power that they are connected to a power source in a vehicle to charge those devices. Residents are instructed to take pictures and contact their insurance company to report property damage. With sump pumps not running, residents are reminded to check their basements and move valuables to higher storage to avoid potential water damage.
A curfew has been established at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, August 28 until 6 a.m. on Wednesday, August 29. During the time the curfew is in order, residents are required to stay off the roadways. No entry into the city will be granted unless proof of residency is provided or for shift workers reporting to work within the city limits with their employer issued identification. Waupun Public Utility crews are assessing downed power lines and Department of Public Works crews are addressing down trees and other damages. At this time we are not aware of any injuries. We have checked with all Senior living and assisted care facilities and Waupun Memorial Hospital. At this time their needs have been addressed and we will continue to monitor the situation.
If residents are unable to stay in their home, a shelter has been opened at Brandon Elementary School, 200 West Bowen Street, Brandon, WI. Residents who cannot self-transport are asked to call 920-324-7920 and transportation will be provided. An Emergency Operations Center has been established at Waupun Public Utilities and we will be issuing an updated communication at 10:00 p.m.
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