BURLINGTON, WI - As recovery efforts continue in Burlington, Wisconsin and surrounding areas, Gov. Scott Walker is calling on the assistance of the National Guard.
Eighty-five soldiers have been deployed to the area to assist with emergency relief efforts.
“The problem really came to the point where literally by the minute water was rising by the inches," said Speaker Robin Vos.
Those inches of water quickly grew to feet covering roadways, parking lots, and even the basement of Vos’s home. According to the Racine County Office of the County Executive, the Fox River crested early Thursday morning at its highest historical level of 16.5 feet.
“In my own home, we had flooding in the basement just like an awful lot of people who live in this whole region," Vos said.
"Luckily, ours was fairly minor," he continued.
Unfortunately, not everyone has been so lucky. Hona Hasting grew up in Burlington and has many friends in town who lost so much as a result of the flood damage.
“We have some friends who’ve lost some wedding memorabilia," Hasting said.
"I have friends who have lost stuff for their upcoming wedding, and it’s so heartbreaking to see those things that cannot be replaced," she continued.
That’s why Hasting and her three girls are volunteering their time today. The Hastings are helping not only friends and family but also dropping off water and snacks to members of the National Guard who’ve been deployed by the governor to assist the city in emergency relief efforts.
“We have friends in this community. We have family [here]," Hasting said.
"This is a place that we care about, we go to Echo Park quite often. It’s really important for me to show my girls it’s not about you all the time. It’s about somebody else and other people that are affected," she continued.
According to the governor, the National Guard will remain in Burlington as long as it’s necessary working with local law enforcement to monitor traffic at streets and bridges that remain closed.
