NewsLocal News

Actions

Hundreds dealing with damage after record flood waters in Dane County

Posted at 7:22 PM, Aug 22, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-25 14:46:55-04

Dane County, WI -- Homeowners in Dane County spent Wednesday digging out furniture and home goods after record flooding wreaked havoc inside hundreds of homes.   

“I was in shock. I always say I hope that never happens to me, it’s sad. It did," Jackie Masta said. 

Masta said she’s rented the basement of a home in the Village of Black Earth for five years. She has a number of mementos like pictures of deceased relatives and baby photos of her kids, but now that’s all piled up in a room as she and her family start the process of digging out.

“Before cell phones you had cameras. So, I had a lot of pictures that I sorted out through it. [I] don’t know what we can salvage,” Masta said. 

Masta’s family is just one of many families affected by the flood waters. 

Kelly Peterson and her husband also spent the day cleaning, trying to salvage expensive items like their son's medication. 

“It happened so fast and trying to make the determination of what do you do," Peterson said. 

Peterson's son, Kelson, relies on tube feeds. He's celebrating his 10th birthday this weekend, that's why in the midst of Peterson and her husband sump pupping and drying out their basement they're also preparing for his party where they’ll celebrate with family members who just survived Hurricane Irma in Florida. 

“The emotional impact is the same when you’re losing a great deal of things,” Peterson said.  

Some of Peterson's neighbors were forced to evacuate Tuesday after much of the village went under water, but today it’s all about digging and dealing with the damage.