Walker’s Cabinet Meets With Barron County Officials On Storm Recovery

Gov. Scott Walker’s cabinet met with local officials in Barron County on Tuesday after last week’s tornado caused more than $10 million in damage to homes, farms and businesses.

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald was among officials who met with leaders from multiple state agencies. Fitzgerald said the shock is just beginning to wear off for community members.

He said the tornado damaged 231 homes and displaced around 40 to 50 families. Those families include residents of the Prairie Lake Estates Mobile Home Park near the city of Chetek that was destroyed.

“A lot of people in the trailer court don’t want to go back into living in a trailer because of the trauma that it created,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re working to find them other housing and the financial means to meet that housing, and that’s where county resources come into play, Red Cross resources come into play. I can’t say enough about the Salvation Army and the support they’ve given us in the last week.”

State Department of Administration Secretary Scott Neitzel said several state agencies can connect displaced residents to housing resources.

“There are a number of emergency grant programs that are available through the Department of Administration, the Department of Children and Families, and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority that all have a number of programs to help people get short-term housing in these situations,” Neitzel said. “Then, longer term, there are loan programs that may be available to residents who need them.”

Neitzel said the Wisconsin Department of Transportation is also helping people replace identification or driver’s licenses that were lost in the storm. He added that people should reach out to their county governments as a point of contact for state agencies.

Sheriff Fitzgerald said damage estimates may climb to $12 million, including $5 million in damage to a turkey farm in the area. He said about 75 percent of the animals had been recovered. Around a dozen farms lost buildings and barns. Resorts also sustained damage in the Chetek Chain of Lakes.