Flood of 2008 through the eyes of the Columbus Emergency Operations Center
This week I thought I would dedicate my column to giving you an idea of what went on here in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during the Columbus flood of 2008. The center was set up on the second floor of the fire station and was the command center for the flood disaster. The EOC team is made up of representatives from the Police Department, Fire Department, Library, Red Cross, Department of Pubic Works, County EOC, Health & Human Services, City Administration and Water & Light. Decisions were made based on safety and minimizing risk to human life… and we were successful. No one died in the flood of 2008, and there were no major injuries. Our secondary concern of course was to minimize loss of property.
So here’s how the emergency played out from the eyes of the EOC…
Day 1- Saturday, June 7th, 2008
The rains came. Flash flooding occurred in the Parkview area where the small creek ran over the banks and flooded the streets and people’s homes. Fire crews were dispatched to the flooded area and each home was checked to make sure that occupants were in a safe place. The fire trucks were used to transport people out of harms way. The deer pen flooded and the deer were rescued and moved to higher ground. The flooding at this time was mainly in the small streams that run through Columbus. At 3:00 pm I declared the City of Columbus a disaster area. We met with Dodge County Emergency Management Services and Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls and received information on emergency services available. Sheriff Nehls helped us get about 37,000 sandbags delivered to our city.
Day 2 – Sunday, June 8th, 2008
Today began with a success. During the initial EOC assessment we found the doe who had been separated from her fawn, and herded her into the pen where her fawn had been rescued. The Crawfish River was rising and we consulted with the owners of the Larsen House and decided that it would be best to move the residents to higher ground. This turned out to be a very good decision as things got more complicated late on Sunday night as the Crawfish River continued to rise. Sand bagging operations were in full force at the City Garage and Meister Park. These sites were later under water and needed to be moved to the fire station. Water & Light began cutting power and gas was turned off in residents that were under water to prevent injuries. The EOC began operations 24 x 7. The 16/60 bridge was closed. Initially the DNR asked us to park a fire truck on the bridge to give it extra weight, but after the water continued to rise we decided to take the truck off for safety.
Day 3 – Monday, June 9th, 2008
The EOC was in full alert mode at about 3:30 in the morning when we realized that there were a number of residents on River Road who were trapped by the flood waters. Calls were made to Beaver Dam to coordinate a water rescue and over 100 residents were taken to safety by air boat and hovercraft. Apartments at Fuller Street and Dickason Blvd were also evacuated. The Parkview area water had receded, but the Crawfish River was rising significantly and the 16/60 bridge remained closed. DPW decided to reinforce a section of the dam with breaker rock. The Red Cross set up a shelter to provide assistance and we began using inmate labor to help fill and distribute sandbags.
Day 4 – Tuesday, June 10th, 2008
Hwy 151 and Hwy 73 bridges were closed in Columbus making travel very difficult. 16/60 remained closed along with many city streets. The sand bag operations continued at the fire station using inmate labor and many volunteers. The Crawfish River continued to rise and crested at over 2 feet above the record for the Crawfish. The National Guard took me on a fly over of our city in a Blackhawk helicopter. It was really unbelievable to see the extent of the devastation to our community. E-Coli infections were reported in people who were in contact with the water. We continue to provide education on handling flood water. As residents began to clean up their homes we had requests for dumpsters and contacted Badger Disposal. It was decided that garbage would be handled under our existing policy. There are very few dumpsters available in the city at this time.
Day 5 – Wednesday, June 11th, 2008
Today began with a reorganization of the EOC center establishing clear roles and responsibilities and a chain of command. The weather forecast for Thursday indicates a high potential of heavy rain, high winds and possible tornados. A pet rescue was made to the River Road area. We mapped the flood levels and reopened the hwy 73 bridge. DNR Secretary Matt Frank inspected our city and offered assistance. We began stockpiling sandbags. The river was dropping at about 1” per hour, but heavy rains were in the forecast. The library set up a website to provide information on the disaster.
Day 6 – Thursday, June 12th, 2008
FEMA arrived in Columbus today and began an initial assessment of the damage to our city. The rains came and a tornado was site just south of town by the hospital. Concrete blocks were placed on the 16/60 bridge as people continued to drive past the barricades and onto the flooded bridge. The park reflooded today. There were looters reported on River Road. We provided over 1500 sandbags to the operation to save the downtown in Beaver Dam. The head librarian, Peggy, was named Public Information Officer. We were contacted by Senator Feingold, Congresswoman Baldwin, Representative Fitzgerald, DNR Secretary, State FEMA, Kleefish, SBA representatives, and USDA representatives.
Day 7 – Friday, June 13th, 2008
FEMA continued their initial assessment of the damages to Columbus today visiting many homes and businesses in the affected area. River Road continues to be closed and the Crawfish River is rising. Residents are anxious to get back to their homes to do an initial assessment and pick up belongings. The road is too flooded to reopen, but we decided to run school bus shuttles into the affected area. After about 4 hours the buses shuttles had to be halted because the water had risen to dangerous levels It is below the crest achieved on Tuesday evening but well above flood stage. A tetanus clinic was set up at the Senior Center and workers who had been in contact with the water were encouraged to get a tetanus shot. Tammy Baldwin walked around and visited home owners in some of the flooded areas and promised support and help getting aid to our community.
Day 8 – Saturday, June 14th, 2008
I was contacted early in the morning letting me know that we would be having a 10:00 visit from the Governor Jim Doyle, Adjacent General of the Wisconsin Guard Dunbar, the head of FEMA, the head of SBA, and many other VIP’s. They arrived in 3 Blackhawk helicopters and landed at the Columbus Middle School to meet with folks affected by the flood and the workers who were helping. A.G. Dunbar approached me and offered National Guard high water vehicles to transport residents into the River Road area. They had now been out of their house for 5 days and were very anxious to return. People were cutting across the back way to their homes putting themselves at risk, and we wanted to help them with a safe way in as soon as possible. The National Guard arrived in the afternoon and the shuttles began. Columbia County was declared a federal disaster site, and this laid the groundwork for receiving FEMA money. We also began focusing on mental health issues. People were very stressed and workers at the EOC were so busy they were unable to provide the time folks needed to express their frustration. The local pastors began providing counseling and visits were made to some folks homes.
Day 9 – Sunday, June 15th, 2008 – Father’s Day
National Guard high water vehicles continue to run to shuttle people into River Road. An early morning inspection of River Road showed one area where there was 6” of water and another with 11”. DPW director Dan Jensen and I believed that with sandbagging and pumping we would be able to pump the water down to a level where the road could be opened. Sandbagging and pumping began and by late afternoon River Road was opened to residents… 7 days after the flooding began. National Guard security was called to establish a check point at the top of River Road to ensure that everyone in the area was a resident. They kept the check point in place through Monday evening.
Day 10 – Monday, June 16th, 2008
DPW is looking into spraying some of the flooded areas for mosquitoes as this is a public health concern. A sandbag removal plan was discussed and we decided to have the inmates return to Columbus on Wednesday – Friday next week to take the sandbags away and properly dispose of the sand and the bags. We will be hiring a private contractor to inspect the 16/60 bridge to speed up the process of reopening that road. National Guard security remains on River Road.
Day 11 – Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
The 16/60 bridge was inspected and opened!! FEMA will be asking for public sector cost estimates, and every department in the city has been asked to pull together their flood related expenses and get those costs to City Clerk, Anne Donahue. There has been equipment damaged from flood water, gear ruined, trucks that need to have brakes and wheel bearings checked in addition to physical damage to roads, buildings, etc.
Day 12 – Wednesday, June 18th, 2008
60 inmates came to Columbus today to work on removing the sand bags and disposing of them according to DNR standards. The Red Cross has set up a feeding area and will deliver water to the workers on site. Clean up of sandbags began at Meister Park and will continue in the Avalon Area and River Road. There are still about 32 people without electricity in their homes. We are out of well test kits and more have been ordered. There is a big effort underway to identify homeowners who need assistance and partner them with volunteers who can go in and clean basements. Please call the Library if you need assistance or would like to volunteer
Day 13 – Thursday, June 19th, 2008 and beyond
As I send this to the newspaper we are beginning to plan for the 13th day of this disaster. The EOC will continue to operate as long as there is a need. We meet every morning to discuss areas of concern and coordinate activities. The police reported that with the opening of hwy 16/60 bridge they are “back to normal”. Our main activities now are clean up, cost estimates and communication to residents. I’m really looking forward to the time when we can close the center knowing that the emergency is behind us and the citizens of Columbus are safe once again. We are taking some time to thank the many municipalities and government agencies that helped us in this disaster. Volunteers stepped forward and helped save our community and keep us safe. We will be celebrating some of our heroes this summer at the city picnic.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Police Department Improvements
Have you noticed the recent changes in our Police Department? There are a lot of things happening. Dennis Weiner was named the interim Police Chief on March 1st, and he has been moving and shaking to reorganize and implement improvements to service and utilize police staff more efficiently. The first thing you may notice is an increased police presence on the street. Officers have been directed to spend more time out of the office and on the street patrolling. They must be present at the schools in the morning and when schools let out in the afternoon, helping keep our children safe.
Interim Chief Weiner requires more follow up on complaints. He has set up a program to review all open calls. Each incident is actively investigated and a solution found whenever possible. It is annoying when citizens call the Police Department with an issue, and then nothing seems to happen. This is a policy change that keeps the police on top of criminal activities in our town. The “bad guys” realize when we’re not following up on petty crimes, and it makes us a target for illegal activities. In the future, Interim Chief Weiner plans to fill one of the vacant positions in the Police Department with an experienced investigator. This will increase efficiency even more. Earlier this week Madison police reported that they do not have the staff to investigate drive offs at gas stations. They only deal with property and personal damage crimes. Our Columbus Police Department provides these services. We take complaints and follow up on minor issues, keeping the small problems small and preventing crime. This is a quality of life decision for Columbus. I like the fact that the police are there when I need them. It makes me feel safe in my community and provides a level of service that cannot be found in many large cities.
Interim Chief Weiner is out on the streets doing some of the patrols. I rode with him on the graveyard shift last week. We checked out a number of businesses, pulled over some suspicious folks, ran plates on cars parked in unusual places, and had some routine traffic stops. Dennis and his family have lived in the Columbus area all of his life, and he knows and loves our community and his passion is to keep us safe. It is wonderful to see the increased police presence and a renewed sense of community in the Police Department.
And you know dispatch is completely transitioned to Columbia County. There have been virtually no problems. All calls are accurately dispatched and the Police Department has administrative staff dedicated to transcribing reports and providing customer service. We receive excellent reports from County that provide information on calls and activities within our department. When officers come on duty they log onto the dispatch center computer system, and each time they are sent to a call their whereabouts is tracked. This creates a record of all officers’ activities for the day… providing management with data that can lead to process improvements and increased productivity. Columbia County provides reports showing peak call times, and officers’ schedules have been adjusted to balance the number of officers on duty with community need, making the entire department run more efficiently.
In the summer there is an increased need for police presence in our community. Thank you to Interim Chief Weiner and the entire Columbus Police Department for finding innovative ways to serve Columbus with minimal staff and maximum efficiency. We currently have 9 officers, 2 vacancies and 2.5 administrative folks. Filling one of the vacancies with an investigator will increase skills and keeps the department below budget… building a lean, efficient Columbus Police Department.
Interim Chief Weiner requires more follow up on complaints. He has set up a program to review all open calls. Each incident is actively investigated and a solution found whenever possible. It is annoying when citizens call the Police Department with an issue, and then nothing seems to happen. This is a policy change that keeps the police on top of criminal activities in our town. The “bad guys” realize when we’re not following up on petty crimes, and it makes us a target for illegal activities. In the future, Interim Chief Weiner plans to fill one of the vacant positions in the Police Department with an experienced investigator. This will increase efficiency even more. Earlier this week Madison police reported that they do not have the staff to investigate drive offs at gas stations. They only deal with property and personal damage crimes. Our Columbus Police Department provides these services. We take complaints and follow up on minor issues, keeping the small problems small and preventing crime. This is a quality of life decision for Columbus. I like the fact that the police are there when I need them. It makes me feel safe in my community and provides a level of service that cannot be found in many large cities.
Interim Chief Weiner is out on the streets doing some of the patrols. I rode with him on the graveyard shift last week. We checked out a number of businesses, pulled over some suspicious folks, ran plates on cars parked in unusual places, and had some routine traffic stops. Dennis and his family have lived in the Columbus area all of his life, and he knows and loves our community and his passion is to keep us safe. It is wonderful to see the increased police presence and a renewed sense of community in the Police Department.
And you know dispatch is completely transitioned to Columbia County. There have been virtually no problems. All calls are accurately dispatched and the Police Department has administrative staff dedicated to transcribing reports and providing customer service. We receive excellent reports from County that provide information on calls and activities within our department. When officers come on duty they log onto the dispatch center computer system, and each time they are sent to a call their whereabouts is tracked. This creates a record of all officers’ activities for the day… providing management with data that can lead to process improvements and increased productivity. Columbia County provides reports showing peak call times, and officers’ schedules have been adjusted to balance the number of officers on duty with community need, making the entire department run more efficiently.
In the summer there is an increased need for police presence in our community. Thank you to Interim Chief Weiner and the entire Columbus Police Department for finding innovative ways to serve Columbus with minimal staff and maximum efficiency. We currently have 9 officers, 2 vacancies and 2.5 administrative folks. Filling one of the vacancies with an investigator will increase skills and keeps the department below budget… building a lean, efficient Columbus Police Department.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Memorial Day Weekend
This weekend is a time to think about the folks who have served our country, risking their lives to keep us safe and free. Thank you. Those words aren’t big enough to express the gratitude that we have for your service. Thank you. My father and mother served in World War II. My father in England working in a hospital unit, and my mother was an air force control tower operator. They met during the war and married shortly afterwards, and like many other service folks, they settled down and raised a family in the land that they had defended. My husband served in Vietnam… an angry, wasteful war. Today we are fighting in Iraq where Councilman Augustine’s son is serving. Thank you. You have given us freedom and there is no more precious gift.
The council approved bonding for $1.72 million to address a number of infrastructure city projects. More streets will be repaired, more sewers will be maintained and upgraded, an engineering study on the dam will begin, there will be a new roof structure on city hall, the library can begin designing an addition. 2008 taxes include $2.44 / $1,000 for debt service. With this borrowing next year it will be $2.43 / $1,000. After that the rate declines slightly each year. This is planned, efficient bonding. Moody’s Investment Service rated the City of Columbus an A3… that is a good rating for a city our size. They congratulated us on our planning, building stability in government, steady growth and leadership. They told us to keep an eye on general funds spending.
Enjoy this weekend. The weather is beautiful, summer is just around the corner. The spring flowers are spectacular.
The council approved bonding for $1.72 million to address a number of infrastructure city projects. More streets will be repaired, more sewers will be maintained and upgraded, an engineering study on the dam will begin, there will be a new roof structure on city hall, the library can begin designing an addition. 2008 taxes include $2.44 / $1,000 for debt service. With this borrowing next year it will be $2.43 / $1,000. After that the rate declines slightly each year. This is planned, efficient bonding. Moody’s Investment Service rated the City of Columbus an A3… that is a good rating for a city our size. They congratulated us on our planning, building stability in government, steady growth and leadership. They told us to keep an eye on general funds spending.
Enjoy this weekend. The weather is beautiful, summer is just around the corner. The spring flowers are spectacular.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Public Enemies Filming Monday and Tuesday
I give Johnny Depp a key to the city after filming was completed early Wednesday morning. Johnny thanked the city for our hospitality and complemented Columbus on our beautiful architecture and polite, respectful citizens.
Movie Stars, props and lots of energy and excitement in Columbus this week as Universal Studios finished up the Columbus portion of filming for the Michael Mann / Johnny Depp movie “Pubic Enemies”. On Monday the crew worked on several scenes at a private house and Tuesday night they were in the downtown. What fun, and what an experience to have hundreds of people descend on our city with cameras, props, sound and lighting. They brought in a huge spotlight and put it in the alleyway behind F&M bank to light up the sky and give the appearance of the moon rising. The cobblestone road was laid, and just as quickly removed and packed off to go back down outside a theatre in Chicago.
Headlines in the Portage Daily Register Souvenir Edition on Monday read “Wanted in Columbus.. Public Enemies Wraps up Shooting in Columbus”. Priceless positive publicity for our city. We had visitors from all over the county on Monday and Tuesday who came to Columbus to see the filming and found a friendly, helpful town. Here’s what I heard from visitors, actors and crew. “This is a beautiful city”, “I’ll be coming back this summer to spend more time”, “this city is real”, “everyone is so friendly”, “everyone has been so wonderful” And from Johnny Depp …“Thank you. The people in your town are very respectful and polite. I have enjoyed filming in your beautiful city.” Thank you to everyone who helped make this a success. Thanks to the police officers who worked extra shifts, Water and Light who removed and then replaced streetlights, Public Works who were everywhere helping out, the senior center for sharing their space with extras, the downtown businesses who were right in the midst of it all, restaurants and gas stations that worked extra hours to accommodate all the folks who were hungry, and everyone who helped show the world what a wonderful city we have here in Columbus. Thanks.
This has been a huge economic boom to our town. Universal paid for all the city services that they used and had individual contracts with each of the downtown businesses. In addition they spent a lot of money in our city on supplies, food and additional services… things that I wouldn’t even think of like a hair cut, a visit to our local dentist, and emergency room visits for minor injuries just to name a few. As with any big event, there are always some folks who are inconvenienced and perhaps didn’t directly benefit. Sorry for the inconvenience you experienced.
Detours should be down by the time this is printed, and the city will be pretty well back to “normal” again. For a few days in March and again in May we were truly Hollywood, Wisconsin. Famous people walked our streets and experienced our hospitality. This is a time that we will remember and talk about for years to come, and an event that has given Columbus a positive image in our state and around the country. Thank you to everyone… and goodbye and good luck Adam Boor – locations, Steve Helms – construction, Michael Mann – Director, and Johnny Depp – superstar and really nice person. See at in the movies!
Movie Stars, props and lots of energy and excitement in Columbus this week as Universal Studios finished up the Columbus portion of filming for the Michael Mann / Johnny Depp movie “Pubic Enemies”. On Monday the crew worked on several scenes at a private house and Tuesday night they were in the downtown. What fun, and what an experience to have hundreds of people descend on our city with cameras, props, sound and lighting. They brought in a huge spotlight and put it in the alleyway behind F&M bank to light up the sky and give the appearance of the moon rising. The cobblestone road was laid, and just as quickly removed and packed off to go back down outside a theatre in Chicago.
Headlines in the Portage Daily Register Souvenir Edition on Monday read “Wanted in Columbus.. Public Enemies Wraps up Shooting in Columbus”. Priceless positive publicity for our city. We had visitors from all over the county on Monday and Tuesday who came to Columbus to see the filming and found a friendly, helpful town. Here’s what I heard from visitors, actors and crew. “This is a beautiful city”, “I’ll be coming back this summer to spend more time”, “this city is real”, “everyone is so friendly”, “everyone has been so wonderful” And from Johnny Depp …“Thank you. The people in your town are very respectful and polite. I have enjoyed filming in your beautiful city.” Thank you to everyone who helped make this a success. Thanks to the police officers who worked extra shifts, Water and Light who removed and then replaced streetlights, Public Works who were everywhere helping out, the senior center for sharing their space with extras, the downtown businesses who were right in the midst of it all, restaurants and gas stations that worked extra hours to accommodate all the folks who were hungry, and everyone who helped show the world what a wonderful city we have here in Columbus. Thanks.
This has been a huge economic boom to our town. Universal paid for all the city services that they used and had individual contracts with each of the downtown businesses. In addition they spent a lot of money in our city on supplies, food and additional services… things that I wouldn’t even think of like a hair cut, a visit to our local dentist, and emergency room visits for minor injuries just to name a few. As with any big event, there are always some folks who are inconvenienced and perhaps didn’t directly benefit. Sorry for the inconvenience you experienced.
Detours should be down by the time this is printed, and the city will be pretty well back to “normal” again. For a few days in March and again in May we were truly Hollywood, Wisconsin. Famous people walked our streets and experienced our hospitality. This is a time that we will remember and talk about for years to come, and an event that has given Columbus a positive image in our state and around the country. Thank you to everyone… and goodbye and good luck Adam Boor – locations, Steve Helms – construction, Michael Mann – Director, and Johnny Depp – superstar and really nice person. See at in the movies!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Streets / Economic Development
Tuesday evening was the council’s spring “Common Purpose” retreat. The Council reviewed our goals and objectives and revised our focus for 2008-9. Everyone agrees that economic development is the key to providing quality services while keeping taxes as low as possible. We are in the process of hiring an Economic Development Director who can help us market our city to businesses. These are tough economic times, and many businesses are closing all around us. At this time, we have a healthy industrial base in Columbus, and it is important to help each business continue to be successful and grow. Boyd Kraemer and I meet with our local industry leaders to understand their concerns and provide city services when we are able. It is helpful to build strong relationships between city government and our local industries.
Bonding for the capital improvement plan will happen later in May. The Capital improvement plan was presented to the council in January and discussed at several meetings. We have made a commitment to you the citizens to focus on improving the infrastructure of our city. I told you about the dam engineering, the library expansion study and the city hall roof project last week. There is also about $800,000 dedicated to street repairs. After many years of neglect, it is time to put in place a plan that will maintain and upgrade our streets. There are houses on Lewis Street that do not have city sewer, and we plan to extend the sewer line out Lewis Street. Williams Street has been promised an upgrade for years. Last year a number of streets were upgraded during the Main Street sewer project. We need to continue to maintain and improve our city infrastructure.
I’ve set up a Question and Answer blog on the Mayor’s Page of the City Website. You can find this at CityofColumbusWI.com. Please email me questions that you would like answered, and I’ll post them with my response. Have a great weekend!
Nancy Osterhaus – Mayor
NOsterhaus@columbuswi.us
920.623.4925
Bonding for the capital improvement plan will happen later in May. The Capital improvement plan was presented to the council in January and discussed at several meetings. We have made a commitment to you the citizens to focus on improving the infrastructure of our city. I told you about the dam engineering, the library expansion study and the city hall roof project last week. There is also about $800,000 dedicated to street repairs. After many years of neglect, it is time to put in place a plan that will maintain and upgrade our streets. There are houses on Lewis Street that do not have city sewer, and we plan to extend the sewer line out Lewis Street. Williams Street has been promised an upgrade for years. Last year a number of streets were upgraded during the Main Street sewer project. We need to continue to maintain and improve our city infrastructure.
I’ve set up a Question and Answer blog on the Mayor’s Page of the City Website. You can find this at CityofColumbusWI.com. Please email me questions that you would like answered, and I’ll post them with my response. Have a great weekend!
Nancy Osterhaus – Mayor
NOsterhaus@columbuswi.us
920.623.4925
Monday, May 5, 2008
Filming Schedule Change - May 12 & 13
Filming date has changed again. It is now scheduled for NEXT Monday and Tuesday in Columbus, May 12th & 13th. Please keep checking for any updates. I don't know yet which day will be in the downtown area, but will post as soon as I know anything more.
Nancy
Photo courtesy of Michelle Martin
Public Enemies Filming Schedule
What I know right now is that Johnny Depp will be back in Columbus for filming on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Wednesday will be in the downtown area in the afternoon / early evening, and will be the best place for "Johnny" sightings.
Photo courtesy of Michelle Martin.
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