Flooding Safety Tips:
After last week’s torrential rain, many parts of Trempealeau, Buffalo, and Jackson Counties are experiencing flooding. While flooding causes obvious problems, such as road closures and property damage, private wells also can be at risk. Here’s some important tips for staying safe as we navigate the next few weeks of assessing the damage caused by the flooding:
- Stay aware of road closures. Avoid crossing flooded roads, and stay out of ditches and flooded streets.
- Don’t drink or bathe in water from a private well that has been/is flooded. Signs that well may be affected by a flood include: Floodwaters come into contact or run over the top of a well; you notice changes in the taste, smell, or color of the water; you have a shallow well and live near areas that have been flooded.
- Be sure to turn off electricity, gas, and water to any areas in your home that are flooded.
As we begin cleaning up after flood damage, there are many guidelines to follow to ensure safety for you, your home, and your neighbors. The Wisconsin Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health has a planning guide available here that can walk you through best practices for safe and efficient flood clean-up.
HOPE Agenda:
Last Monday, I joined Governor Walker and a group of bipartisan legislators in Onalaska as 4 HOPE Agenda bills were signed into law. These bills are aimed at combating the opiate abuse and addiction crisis that has spread across Wisconsin, with our own corner of the state experiencing record highs for drug overdose-related deaths. It was an honor to attend the bill signing, knowing that the four bills signed in Onalaska will have impacts state-wide that can save Wisconsin lives.
The bills center around allocating more funding for the Treatment Alternatives and Diversion (TAD) grant program, creating immunities for those calling emergency services for someone else experiencing an overdose, allowing drug addiction and alcohol dependency to be treated equally when it comes to treatment commitment, and creates new positions to fight drug trafficking.
As the Task force on Opioid Abuse continues to find ways to fight the opioid epidemic that has hit Wisconsin, I look forward to supporting legislation that combats this crisis, saves lives, and improves public health.
Jackson County Fair
The Jackson County Fair will be held August 2nd-6th at the Jackson County Fair Grounds in Black River Falls. With live music, great food, and shows and attractions for all ages, it’ll be a fun activity for the family. I hope to see you and yours there.
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