Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
THE DEVASTATION from Monday's storm is evident Thursday on County Trunk A in Saxon, Wis., near Saxon Harbor, where a large stretch of roadway and huge culvert were destroyed at Parkers Creek. The only access to the ravaged harbor and campgrounds has been through Harbor Drive, a gravel road that extends from Gurney.
Wisconsin 13 north of Mellen sits washed out after this week's storm. Many roads across the northern part of the state are not passable because of the late Monday evening storm that claimed three lives - all in vehicles that were washed away - in Iron, Bayfield and Ashland counties.
MARENGO, Wis. - A third person died in the floodwaters of Monday's storm in northern Wisconsin.
The Ashland County Sheriff's Department said an 82-year-old man was found dead early Thursday in a pickup truck in the floodwaters of the Marengo River. Authorities said the truck was found in the water near the bridge over the river in the town of White River.
The sheriff's department said Elmer Lippo was an elected supervisor for the town of Marengo.
Two others, an 84-year-old Illinois man, in Bayfield County, and 56-year-old Mitch Koski, of Montreal, Wis., at Saxon Harbor in Iron County, died in northern Wisconsin flooding.
Nine to 12 inches of rain washed out roads and caused millions of dollars in damage.
U.S. 2, between Ashland and Hurley, remained closed, as well as numerous other roads in the region.
On Thursday, three northern Wisconsin lawmakers urged Gov. Scott Walker to pursue federal aid help.
State Sen. Janet Bewley, D-Ashland, along with State Reps. Beth Meyers, D-Bayfield, and Nick Milroy, D-Superior, sent a letter to Walker. They also asked him to work with the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee to shore up Wisconsin's Disaster Assistance Fund, which has an estimated balance of about $400,000.
"If our roads are impassable, then our economy grinds to a halt. From the total loss in Saxon Harbor to the washed out roads in both directions that left the town of Grandview an island, we need all the help we can get," the three lawmakers said.
Additional assistance from the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency was urged.
"We welcome the Governor's Emergency Declaration and stand ready to help in any way we can. We know that there are tough times ahead. Roads and bridges must be rebuilt, homes need to be repaired and replaced. The people who call northern Wisconsin home are a resilient bunch, but they need help and they need it now," said Bewley, Meyers and Milroy.
Walker flew over Saxon Harbor on Tuesday.
-The Associated Press contributed to this story
