Friday Update: List of resources for dealing with flooding

By: Justin Thompson-Gee Facebook | X

Posted: Jul 13, 2017 2:32 PM CST

A Red Cross shelter has been set up at Burlington High School. There are places to sleep, food to eat and comfort and care for all in need.

Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave is deeply concerned for community members affected by the floods and power outages. In coordination with Federal, state and local agencies, he is deploying resources to Western Racine County. “It is essential that we bring all resources to bear to restore our community as quickly as possible,” said Jonathan Delagrave.

Starting Thursday there will be two Burlington disaster recovery sites operated by Racine County Human Services Department. Western Racine County residents affected by the flood and currently receiving FoodShare can apply for emergency FoodShare to replace food that was lost due to the flood and power outages. The sites will be open Thursday from 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM and Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Gateway Technical College.

The sites are staffed by representatives from Racine County Human Services Department. Flood victims can get help applying for FoodShare and also apply for Unemployment Insurance, access computers and receive information on other disaster recovery services. “We streamlined our processes and partnered with other local organizations to provide immediate relief. Food security and basic needs are critically important so our goal is to help our community speed the recovery by getting quick access to food and much-needed resources,” said Hope Otto, Racine County Human Services Director.

Burlington City Hall is closed due to power loss. Officials do not have access to email, phones or voicemail. If you need assistance for County services please call:

County Clerk: 262-636-3121 (if you have a marriage license waiting for you at City Hall we will contact you)

County Treasurer: 262-636-3239 (we cannot take July tax payments until we reopen)

If you need assistance for City Services:

Non-emergency Police Department: 758-1875 or 763-9558

Building Inspection: The Building Inspector and contracted team are currently working with the Emergency Management Team to handle emergency inspections for flood victims. We will begin regular inspections as soon as possible.

Municipal Court: If you had a court hearing this week, the Municipal Court Clerk will send you a new court date as soon as we are back online.

All other services: We are working to get a phone line for you to contact. Thank you for your patience!

Roundy's is donating 4,704 gallons of fresh water to flood victims. The delivery will happen on Thursday at Burlington High School until supplies run out.

U.S. Cellular is giving away charging kits that include: wall, car and portable charges at these locations:

U.S. Cellular agent store Talk of The Town, located at 1709 Milwaukee Ave. Ste. B, Burlington, WI 53105
Gooseberry Fresh Food Market; 690 W. State Street, Burlington, WI 53105. U.S. Cellular will be there until 6 p.m. on Thursday (longer if needed) and 9-12 on Friday.

U.S. Cellular has also set up generators at the Gooseberry Fresh Food Market location where all community members are welcome to charge their phones and other wireless devices.

To access additional disaster recovery resources, contact the agencies listed below. In the event of a life-threating situation, call 911.

American Red Cross Emergency Response Line – 414.345.867 (water, shelter and meals)
Central Racine County Health Department – www.crchd.com (health and safety information)
Wisconsin Kenosha Racine Partnership – 888.794.5820 (FoodShare/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
Unemployment Insurance – http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/uiben/ (unemployment benefits for those who lost work due to floods and power outages)

Central Racine County Health Department advises that extreme caution should be taken with food and private well water. They shared the following food and well water safety tips:

Food Safety During a Power Outage

The biggest food safety concern is the condition of Potentially Hazardous Food (PHF) such as meats, eggs, milk, cooked vegetables, cut melons, cut tomatoes and cut leafy greens.
Keep refrigerators and freezer doors closed as much as possible.
Add bags of ice or dry ice to the freezers and coolers.
When power is restored check the internal food temperatures. If above 41°F food should be discarded.
If there are any questions regarding the safety of specific foods, contact the Central Racine County Health Department.
When In Doubt, Throw It Out!

Well Water Safety

Private well owners with wells located in a flooded area should not consume the water without boiling it first.
After the flood waters have receded, wells should be chlorinated and then tested for contamination.
Whenever you notice a change in water quality, or anytime there's been flooding near your well, have your well tested for bacteria contamination.
Until the test results are known, follow these procedures to ensure safe drinking water:
Drink bottled water or water from a known, safe source.
If necessary, you can make water safe to drink by boiling it for five minutes.
When in doubt, if the water is CLOUDY, ODOROUS, OR COLORED - DO NOT DRINK THE WATER!