Live in Wi did know about the flooding because of the news out of la crosse. Didnt know thing were still in that bad of shape. Although its only been 2 years and these things take time.
We had a (every hundred years) flood in 2006 in N.E. Ohio. No flood insurance. FEMA gave us $2,000 for home/property. We got a mop, squeegee, broom combo and a towel from the Red Cross. We still laugh about the "help" we got. I can totally understand why people moved away from New Orleans and never went back after Hurricane Katrina.
That's what is always said. We had a 100 year flood in 2016 in Baton Rouge. La . My wife and I lived in flood zone x so no flood insurance. We received $3,200 for 2 cars and our home with all belongings. That's when I truly understood the govt does not care about us.
Bluffton/Ottawa, etc? (Blanchard River) I remember that flood. One of my sister's friends had a basement apt in Ottawa, flooded out, so she moved to a second floor apt in Cols. Grove. The next summer a Tornado took off the front wall of that building... Not sure where she ended up after that...
Can anyone share why people build and live in flood zones? I live well out of a local flood plain but an entire neighborhood nearby was built on bottom land by a creek. They flood every year, sometimes multiple times, and most are renters.
@@debb4099 Not true. I hate to hear this rumor about illegals. What the government does is give the people of Asian and Indian decent (India) money to live without paying taxes for 5 years while they get their businesses started, then these same people after 5 years move and give the business to kin and this kin have 5 years of tax free fare and the world turns......
@@miapdx503 Oh man, hang in there, we’ve been thru the ringer, but not from a flood, I couldn’t imagine, you’ll get another home , best of luck to you!
@@apocyldoomer you know, at this stage of life (I'm 62) I'll probably never have another house, but I'm blessed with memories...children and granbabies, my husband, so many wonderful memories, so I'm grateful for that. God is good 🌹
I lived in elroy , it was my home town... the whole town wasn't abandon just that part of the street it is in one of the worse flooding zones with the baraboo River and small marsh near by. Most farming was done on the upper hills but the residents that lived on the hills were safe, it doesn't surprise me the town starting to be abandon. It isn't the best place to live and they don't care about the people there.....
Interesting side note, the former governor of the state of Wisconsin, Tommy Thompson, was born and raised in Elroy Wisconsin. He went on to serve as Secretary of health and human services, and is currently in acting interim president of the University of Wisconsin. But I guess no one can figure out how to fix this problem in Elroy Wisconsin. They just don't want to, probably because there's no money in it.
Tommy Thompson isn't the governor anymore. A Democrat is. Elections have consequences. Ask Tony Evers what he's doing to help other than blame Trump and Coronavirus for everything that happens.
How does this happen to American's when we literally give trillions in aid to other countries for disaster relief. This is an absolute nightmare even for those of us who didn't experience it! We have got to get this government under control!!!!
@Lujan FYI the United States spends a total of 0.06% of our GDP on Israel. 99.7% of that is military aid which is money kept in the US since Israel spends the money on American built planes and other defense equipment. Our government is simply subsidizing the defense industry which keeps Americans working.
“Disaster relief” to line the pockets of corrupt government “officials.” The people never see a dime. Just ask La Palmans about their corrupt Spanish government.
When Donald J Trump was in office, he did cut wasted tax payer spending in other country's.Billions saved. However the corrupt politicians absolutely hated this because the "kickbacks" went away. With our current administration, it truly is America Last.
@@michaelcoffey5645 man, 3.5 billion dollars each year going to Israel to bomb Palestinian women and children (Israel being rightfully theirs) is kinda ridiculous. That billions should be going to America and it's citizens, not foreign aid. And don't get me started how 24 out of 27 hedgefund investors in america (mind you, so damn rich they can determine the outcome of the entire country) are Israelis. Why do we send so much money to foreign countries, and why do foreigners have financial power in our country? Sucks.
Interesting. Very well done. It's crazy how people haven't heard about this. Someone needs to go there and do a real in-depth documentary, and get the word out to more people, and maybe pressure FEMA into doing something for them. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
I can guarantee you this has already been tried. I know a few people from varied southern states in the US that have been victims of floods. They all share the same story of the amount of assistance given by the government, and it's definitely not much. On a side note, is it supposed to be FEMA's job to do something besides saving lives and temporary care? I don't really know anything about their mandate or mission statement.
I love how you made contact with the people who lost these homes. The man at the church made me feel so sad and the woodwork was fantastic, I hope they save that. Sometimes the only answer is to let things go, people matter more
4 idiots from FEMA came to my house on Long Island today asking about damage from Hurricane Irma a year ago. I told them we had no damage in this area. Get the hell out to Wisconsin!!
My father and his two brothers grew up in Elroy and we drive through there every time we go to our property. Everything is still there exactly how you see it
You were very respectful -your work in sharing this situation, especially with the owner who would have appreciated having you with him to check on his house and his neighbourhood
I'm from Minnesota and we and Wisconsin have a Viking Packer rivalry but when you see this it just crush's your heart. Dam,what a sick terrible tragedy.
You can see the love that people put into their homes. Its eerie that its all just left to nature now. The way that he spoke of his home of 40 years. Feel so bad for him losing all those memories in the home.
I am just in total shock ! Where are the representatives for this town, county, or state ? All the Americans taxes are supposed to be there for an emergency like this. No, life isn't supposed to go on like this in the USA. There is something really corrupt going on here. Thanks for making this. This shows the darker side of USA where good working people who don't believe in being the loudest squeaky wheel get screwed by the system. How much money did these people allow the government to take out of their checks for the insurance of something like this happening. Really makes me sick !
Too busy sending em to Pakistan for gender studies (I shit you not). Basically our aid elsewhere is just money laundering on a massive and international level.
Ive always been fascinated by abandoned homes and neighborhoods and have often wondered how they got that way. This was very interesting- it makes me wonder how many other stories there are just like this one.
This is truly heartbreaking...I have never heard of this before. I hope and pray these people and families will be compensated enough to start a new life... Not in some apartment.
This is terrible I’m born and raised in Milwaukee and I’ve never heard about this town. As a Wisconsinite it was heartbreaking to hear that man’s story 40 years in a house of memories gone. Every family deals with it eventually my heart goes out to all the cheeseheads affected😢
I live in Wisconsin and I recall the horror stories of the residents in the area surrounding Elroy. It's like one of those moments of sudden rememberance too. People talking about how their sump pump holes and drains started bubling up with flooding in water. And that church is one of the more beautiful ones too.
Wow! Hopefully some good will come from you raising awareness about this situation. These people deserve better. FEMA needs to resolve their part, which should've been handled much quicker. Good journalism! 💜✊
I've lived in an area that was declared an emergency zone when there was an ice storm. Trees collapsed blocking roads, the power was out for like 2 weeks, stores were closed... FEMA did nothing xD. I think they trucked in generators for certain areas but my town didn't get any power til the power company fixed their stuff
It is so tragic and breaks my heart. This is what it looks like after major hurricanes (I live in Florida). Sometimes there is so much structural damage the house is condemned and they have to leave everything behind. When houses are flooded it becomes a soup of everything imaginable. It is so heart wrenching to see exactly what we see down here after these storms happen way up north, just a different set of circumstances. I know that feeling of "what do I do now?" The stress is overwhelming. These incidents should have been covered more closely and these residents deserve help
Elroy is still thriving town but Franklin St is right next to the Baraboo River and a large wetland area. Strong summer rains make the Baraboo grow over it banks often. Tho the 2008/2018 floods were the worst for sure. I haven't been back home in a while but it's rough to see how that area of the town is disappearing especially the Luthern church.
I live in central NJ, which was hit hard by Super storm Sandy in 2012. A number of people lost their homes, just like here, and they're still suffering to this day...
Having worked in construction for many years, we worked on several homes that lost concrete block basement walls to hydrostatic pressure build up from bad downspouts drains. This was the best selling point to individuals or families wanting to build a new home. 10 to 12 inch thick concrete walls simultaneously poured with the basement slab makes for a secure basement from flooding. With proper reinforcing these walls can withstand pressures from flooding. As for basement windows the forming and pouring of concrete wells is highly recommended while walls are being poured. Drainage system will be needed for the wells. As nice as it is, don't build on low lying land or in flood zones, the government will never help. All broken promises.
i glad you tell it like it is. i like the bottom of your state ment dont build in flood plains. just learned something never knew concrete could be poured that way
Very interesting coming across this. Not long ago I was looking at some properties in Elroy via the internet and got to wondering about the obvious flood damage signs in the photos. Guess I know why now.
That church is so very, very German! Looks like the one near Minden in NRW where my ancestors were baptized and wed! The church in Addieville, IL where my ancestors settled built a very German church like the one in lovely Elroy.
I live in this town, its an amazing town with wonderful people. Another town you could do a video on is wonewoc wi there a ton of abandon houses downtown from the flood. Or viola/readstown wi.
I’ve been to wonewoc but I didn’t see too many houses. Same with those other ones. Not sure what you mean. And yeah it’s quite sad seeing these floods do this to people. Nearly tested up while editing this video
@@StringerMedia I was born/raised here so I know tons of abandon places either due to flood, fires or just they simply passed away. Would love to see more abandon home videos in the area.
@@Dollyspartan97 comment some of the addresses or where to find them and I will take my bike out there this winter break. I found a school in west Lima but that’s it so far
And Rock Springs....not much left of that town anymore....the houses and most businesses are gone and replaced with grass. It is also along the Baraboo River.
Listening to that gentleman discuss his experience thru this situation… Makes me incredibly grateful to have not gone thru this. Never know what could happen to your home. Sending those families all the love and good energy thru this nightmare. 🖤
In 2016 to 2017 I lived in Kendall WI. I worked at Walker stainless in Elroy WI. I eventually moved closer to the end of 2017. Crazy to see how much it's changed I remember those streets and houses and it's just a sad situation. There was alot of flooding in Monroe County from the same storms. The town of Leon was also under water.
Before Back in like ninety- six when was like an eight year old child living at the Valley Trailer Park of Clatskanie, Oregon we'd been awoken by our parents in basically the complete middle of the night to at least waist- high water packed full of all of our belongings floating by in order to basically wade over to a bit of higher grounds due to a big ole flood that ended up completely blowing away the damn as well but completely understand what those people been through for real!! 🥰🥰
Would have like to have known more history about the town and why FEMA hasn't paid out for these people? Why hasn't the city or county or state gone after the government for the funds?
Well because when has the government ever done what they said they are going to do? People need to stop relying on government to save them because it's never going to work that way.
This happened to us in 2008 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. WE lost our home and our entire neighborhood. Now it is a urban campground because nothing can be built on the land again. Our neighborhood has been gone for years, so its surprising to see this town left standing.
I used to live really close to the Yellow River in Wisconsin. My dad always talked about how if a flooding ever happened our house would be fine since we were on a hill. Where most houses roofs started was the bottom of ours.
I live in baraboo which is probably an hour or so from Elroy. We had terrible flooding in 2008. I was only 7, but I remember walking down a park in the river and we walked through part of the river because it flooded so much into the land. We had mudslides too, I saw a shed almost completely buried in mud
It constantly amazes me how councils and States allow properties to be built next to or near a river and are then completely caught off-guard and surprised when the river floods and damages/destroys those properties. Does nobody bother to do any research before authorizing an area to be built on in regards building on potential flood planes? Sure it might be a super rare flood, but if the risk is above 0% you gotta address that. Flood defenses, build houses on stilts so the flood goes under rather than through properties. It's not like it's rocket science really. And properly compensate those who bought/built a house never knowing it was at risk of this for pete's sake!! We have this EXACT same problem in the North of the UK and it's becoming more common, sadly.
They are supposed to built in a way to minimize damage. But the National Flood Insurance Progam was started in the late 60s and anything built before 1975 didn't have to follow code
I see this is from a year ago in 2020. This must have been the flood in 2018. I'm shocked to find out that FEMA was poorly run at that time. If you live in a flood plain, you need flood insurance. Too many people don't buy it. They changed the way they handle flood insurance. When flood insurance pays out you have to move. Many years ago, the Wisconsin village of Soldiers Grove moved the entire town to avoid the flooding that happened so often.
These poor people. I’m so sorry to all that went through this. You try to build a life and circumstances rip your efforts apart. While we see buildings, the previous residents see so many memories lost.
I'm from south central Louisiana and down here if you want to stay where your from or around your family you have to live in a flood zone. My brother built a 10 foot hill to build his house on or else they could not insure it. We made it through Katrina. The 2016 flood. And about 2 hurricanes a year. It seems weird if you aren't from here but you almost get used to it. I've been pulling people out of their houses and swimming in flood waters as long as I can remember. The 2016 flood water was 10 feet high outside my house and they not only refused to evacuate us but the national guard gave us 3 hours warning before they left the area and would not come back to help
I've been here!!! Many times! I actually had no idea there were so many abandoned homes!. But I lived very close to here in Wisconsin during the first flood and it was CRAZY! Just found your channel, interesting stuff!
Native Texan but lived in Appleton Wisco for over 2 years. Did a 80ish mi Elroy to Sparta cycle loop, “there and back” starting in Elroy (2019) Rode the last 20mi pretty much at night due to my poor planning lol and didnt have a light. just my Iphone light LOL. I remember riding getting close to Elroy in the pitch black and the trail just like gave out and i flew on the ground. Luckily it was soft dirt. The trail had been completely washed out and i wasn’t sure why. I fell a couple more times that night and to make it more fun it started to drizzle. Shortly after i said screw the trail and hope on the adjacent road. It all makes sense now. Thanks for the upload. I enjoyed living in Wisconsin
Yep I live in PA and those same two stors hit my area too. Another of people including myself ended up with 4 to 8 ft water in basement. Concrete Bridges over a the headwaters of a bigger river got pushed of foundations and are still not passable to this day.
I didn’t even know about this. It’s a real eye opener when we can see footage like this. It’s a very lonely feeling there now and I can’t imagine having to wait on fema like this. That man had over 40 years in his home and is still waiting. Sad. Great footage and thank you for posting !
I think these people will continue to wait. I have heard that there are still area in Louisiana basically just abandoned after Hurricane Katrina. My dad used to have a farm in Elroy. I believe in the 70's, he applied to have a dike put on his property. The army corps of engineers came out and said it would help benefit the area to prevent flooding. It allowed him to have a man made pond on the property and thus doubled the value. Not sure how they came to that conclusion about the benefit cause if the pond got to full the overflow would go down a pipe into a wooded valley that was uninhabited. #quadstatecameras
I work in federal disaster aide it's all up to the president and the state to declare a federal disaster and authorize the right kind of aide the part that sucks is some counties just don't get opened up for the aide they need or are just outside the area authorized
Saddest urban exploration I've seen. Nothing quite like the sorrow that comes from an area left to rot that could have been saved. I feel for the residents who had to abandon their homes. So sad.
"I am sure the removal of the dam system from the Baraboo river has lots to do with why the flooding happened." Well, just cause you are sure does not make it truth. What's your support of your position?
@@rodshop5897 Umm less control over the flow of water. There has been many areas that never used to flood until atfer they removed the dams. But i guess it starts with knowing what a dam does and why they were built to start with.
@@MrBurleyfish "it starts with knowing what a dam does and why they were built to start with." Oh, I agree, and have done just that. From a well-researched and written article about the specific dams along the Baraboo river, "The dams along the Baraboo River were not flood control structures. Of Wisconsin’s 3,800 dams, only about 200 serve as flood control structures. Had they been in place during the most recent floods of 2008, the dams along the Baraboo River would have been completely overtopped. Furthermore, the strength of floodwaters could have possibly led to a dam failure." The more you know, right?
@Acer Acres I beg to differ and think you are very very wrong ...What dams are you talking about that failed? Because there are no dams left on the Baraboo river and it is 100% free flowing. They removed all the dams from the Baraboo river system in 1997 through 2002 then in 2008 low and behold the river flooded out many buildings and other areas along the river. Highway 33 between Portage and Baraboo got washed out I drover through the mess as it was happening and seen water almost to the top of the gas pumps where 33 and I90 cross.
@Acer Acres "I read a couple articles about that whole thing and you're very incorrect." Well, you seem to be arguing in my favor. Yes, the dams previously along the river were not designed for flood control, and did not provide safety from floods. That was my point, and indeed what I read in articles about the Baraboo river dams. I never discussed whether or not people should be compensated. "Government stupidity didn't just start yesterday" Agreed, people have been doing stupid things for as long as there have been people.
It's kinda sad that Elroy went from being a hub of commerce when the trains were still running to slowly deteriorating over the years. I lived in Elroy for a good chunk of my childhood and have a lot of fond memories of the town. I hope these people get compensated.
really sad to see, it's so much more personal too hearing from some of the locals who were affected by this still around picking up the pieces so long after the disaster. hope they catch a break sooner rather than later.
My experience with fema is that they're great until the emergency is over then you are ON YOUR OWN. Things I have learned are 1. You can only depend on yourself at the end of the day. 2. Get the proper insurance coverage and a damn good agent. 3.Never buy any dwelling in any type of flood plane(renting is ok). Most importantly is that it is just stuff, you can get more stuff. People and pets should be the most important things you grab on the way out.
This is sad. It's a beautiful little town. Even now that it is abandoned, it looks like it was a great place to live. It's sunny and gorgeous there! I love little towns like that.
Park School looks much like the old Bartlett School in Eau Claire wi. Same design & time frame. We attended Bartlett in the late 1960’s until it was razed in 1973. It was heated with coal & had wrought iron coat hooks, huge windows & beautiful hardwood floors. Would love to come see your Park School some day and compare, oh and very enjoyable informative video! Thanks! 😊
I've lived in south Central Wisconsin most of my life. I wasn't aware of the 2018 flooding in Elroy, but I remember 2008 quite well. I lived about 45 minutes south in Madison at the time and when the Baraboo river broke, it was breaking news. There was no shortage of aerial video and photo coverage. I remember thinking how it looked apocalyptic at the time. Kinda reminded me of the movie Water World. I had never seen flooding so violent and water so deep. The only flooding I had seen that even came close was in and around Valonia, Indiana, where my mom lived in the early 2000s. The corner of my mom's house was just a few feet from the edge of the river so they at least were used to it and prepared for it. Elroy not so much... I felt terrible for the people caught in that flooding, which wasn't limited to Elroy. I know that's the focus of this video but many surrounding areas were affected. It's insane (but in a really good way) that no one died as a result of all that. Thank you for covering this! I've never seen the aftermath. Crazy that all those houses are just abandoned all these years later. But I understand why. No one wants to live through that again, let alone spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars either fixing or replacing the structures. I hope they're all doing well mentally too. That was quite traumatic! 🤯🤯🤯 Edit: I just wanted to add that I appreciate how respectful you are of all these people. You didn't go into everyone's house and play with things or take things. Some you didn't enter for obvious safety reasons but some because you thought they may still be returning. And I highly respect you for that. 🙂🙂🙂
I live near Portage. Last year it took on the name and the roads filled up extremely bad. Wisconsin seriously needs to look into updated irrigation systems.
@@boristheamerican2938 So because the governor is republican you assume I voted 4 him. I don't give a toss republican or Democrat I just give a crap about who will do what is best of the options. Besides I'm a felon.
A lot of people are complaining it wasn’t in the news. The first flood in 2008 was on June 7th. I was on-duty in the control room at WKOW 27 that day. I spent more than 6 hours on-the-air covering the floods. I don’t remember if we made it all the way up to Elroy or not that day. It’s a blur. I think we were stopped at Baraboo from going farther north. But also, Elroy was overshadowed by the fact the Lake Delton dam failed in the same storm. That said, I did a quick Google search of “Elroy Wisconsin flood” and the first link was to a news article form 2008, plus, there was a bunch of coverage from my former station of the 2018 flood. Especially since Tommy Thompson was living in Elroy at the time and KO interviewed him.
Sad. A lot of these houses actually look salvageable, though. They would need to be jacked up and have the foundations repaired and then rehabbed. Sounds crazy, but I've seen it done with river flooding a few times over the years. Same process they use to pour concrete foundations under old stone foundation houses.
I have fixed a lot of houses in worse shape than these, I wonder if the lack of action has something to do with some kink of red tape in the insurance business, or some government red tape.
@@penguin12902 Unfortunately, there is going to be a lot more of this, I am afraid. Recent, but already repeated flood zones are the kind of climate change result seen inland. Both FEMA & insurance companies don't want any rebuilding there. Most people think of climate change migrants as being people in other countries being driven to new countries or those living on the coasts, but this is what it looks like here.
I know of another town like this but this town is abandoned due to Mine fire 🔥! That town is Centralia Pennsylvania! My Grandma and Grandpa lived in the next town over and we went through Centralia often!
"Forty years of memories." That is so incredibly sad, and it happens all the time whenever homes are lost to fire, flood, earthquakes, or other causes. I hope the were able to save the items in that cute little church.
So i just saw this youtube video of all the new flood prevention gadgets that are out there and that can be easily put into place to protect your property. Most of them stack or roll up to store when they are not needed. It was so neat to see something other than sandbags being used. No one has time to fill, transport, and stack sandbags during a flood. However....the most important thing to keep is proper insurance on your home. If you live in a flood zone, your town should mandate that you carry flood insurance. There would be little need from fema or any other federal agencies, if each town made this into law and enforced when property taxes are due, so is proof of insurance for the home. If you can not afford the insurance, then you can not afford to live in that home. It really grinds my gears that every coastal city that gets hit by a storm, gets help from the federal government. A government we all pay into. But little towns like this and places like washington, illinois always get passed over for help because they are in the middle of no where. All of us mid westerners pay into the federal government but never get assistance like the states along the coast do.
Never knew about this and I live here in Wisconsin. Shows how much even local news truly cares.
They don't care about poor people
I live in Wisconsin as well and never heard about this
Live in Wi did know about the flooding because of the news out of la crosse. Didnt know thing were still in that bad of shape. Although its only been 2 years and these things take time.
I live in Wisconsin also and had never heard about how these people have been left with no help
Same here
We had a (every hundred years) flood in 2006 in N.E. Ohio. No flood insurance. FEMA gave us $2,000 for home/property. We got a mop, squeegee, broom combo and a towel from the Red Cross. We still laugh about the "help" we got. I can totally understand why people moved away from New Orleans and never went back after Hurricane Katrina.
That's Ohio for ya
That's what is always said. We had a 100 year flood in 2016 in Baton Rouge. La . My wife and I lived in flood zone x so no flood insurance. We received $3,200 for 2 cars and our home with all belongings. That's when I truly understood the govt does not care about us.
Bluffton/Ottawa, etc? (Blanchard River)
I remember that flood.
One of my sister's friends had a basement apt in Ottawa, flooded out, so she moved to a second floor apt in Cols. Grove. The next summer a Tornado took off the front wall of that building... Not sure where she ended up after that...
Can anyone share why people build and live in flood zones? I live well out of a local flood plain but an entire neighborhood nearby was built on bottom land by a creek. They flood every year, sometimes multiple times, and most are renters.
@@debb4099
Not true. I hate to hear this rumor about illegals. What the government does is give the people of Asian and Indian decent (India) money to live without paying taxes for 5 years while they get their businesses started, then these same people after 5 years move and give the business to kin and this kin have 5 years of tax free fare and the world turns......
Wow, this is sad..And listing to the older gentleman speak about his experience..40 yrs of memory's gone..
Man, after living in your own home for 40 years than be living in an apartment, that is just awful, good luck to all of the victims of this floods!!
My neighbor is 80 with a pacemaker….he redone his own house after the last hurricane…he didn’t loose his house.
I had to move from a lovely home...two story, fireplace, it was truly lovely. I live in an apartment now, and it's nice.
But it's no house 😔
@@miapdx503 Oh man, hang in there, we’ve been thru the ringer, but not from a flood, I couldn’t imagine, you’ll get another home , best of luck to you!
@@apocyldoomer you know, at this stage of life (I'm 62) I'll probably never have another house, but I'm blessed with memories...children and granbabies, my husband, so many wonderful memories, so I'm grateful for that. God is good 🌹
@@miapdx503 Yes , we’ve had our share of hard times, but always made it thru somehow, Good day
I lived in elroy , it was my home town... the whole town wasn't abandon just that part of the street it is in one of the worse flooding zones with the baraboo River and small marsh near by. Most farming was done on the upper hills but the residents that lived on the hills were safe, it doesn't surprise me the town starting to be abandon. It isn't the best place to live and they don't care about the people there.....
Interesting side note, the former governor of the state of Wisconsin, Tommy Thompson, was born and raised in Elroy Wisconsin. He went on to serve as Secretary of health and human services, and is currently in acting interim president of the University of Wisconsin. But I guess no one can figure out how to fix this problem in
Elroy Wisconsin.
They just don't want to, probably because there's no money in it.
Tommy Thompson isn't the governor anymore. A Democrat is. Elections have consequences. Ask Tony Evers what he's doing to help other than blame Trump and Coronavirus for everything that happens.
Red you forgot your favorite Scott walker
@@RedSiegfried I believe trump was president for the last flood also. FEMA is a federal program. Put blame where blame is due
@@ericluebbers4415 butthurt?
@@RJ1999x not at all just using facts. It seems you are the one that is butthurt trying to lay blame on someone else.
How does this happen to American's when we literally give trillions in aid to other countries for disaster relief. This is an absolute nightmare even for those of us who didn't experience it! We have got to get this government under control!!!!
America is bankrupt living off credit cards and still continues to apply for more cards.
@Lujan FYI the United States spends a total of 0.06% of our GDP on Israel. 99.7% of that is military aid which is money kept in the US since Israel spends the money on American built planes and other defense equipment. Our government is simply subsidizing the defense industry which keeps Americans working.
“Disaster relief” to line the pockets of corrupt government “officials.” The people never see a dime. Just ask La Palmans about their corrupt Spanish government.
When Donald J Trump was in office, he did cut wasted tax payer spending in other country's.Billions saved. However the corrupt politicians absolutely hated this because the "kickbacks" went away. With our current administration, it truly is America Last.
@@michaelcoffey5645 man, 3.5 billion dollars each year going to Israel to bomb Palestinian women and children (Israel being rightfully theirs) is kinda ridiculous. That billions should be going to America and it's citizens, not foreign aid. And don't get me started how 24 out of 27 hedgefund investors in america (mind you, so damn rich they can determine the outcome of the entire country) are Israelis. Why do we send so much money to foreign countries, and why do foreigners have financial power in our country? Sucks.
Interesting. Very well done. It's crazy how people haven't heard about this. Someone needs to go there and do a real in-depth documentary, and get the word out to more people, and maybe pressure FEMA into doing something for them. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
What's the name of the church?
Why haven't the people who lived there haven't already emailed their requests to Nightline, 20/20, or 60 minutes?
@@kristinatidwell6563 Are you certain they didn't?
I can guarantee you this has already been tried. I know a few people from varied southern states in the US that have been victims of floods. They all share the same story of the amount of assistance given by the government, and it's definitely not much.
On a side note, is it supposed to be FEMA's job to do something besides saving lives and temporary care? I don't really know anything about their mandate or mission statement.
FEMA would help my brother if he needed a loan. His house was partially flooded, with many others also flooded. Only help was a loan. Useless.
I love how you made contact with the people who lost these homes. The man at the church made me feel so sad and the woodwork was fantastic, I hope they save that. Sometimes the only answer is to let things go, people matter more
I know he did a great job interviewing and talking with them.
"life goes on, you just gotta keep plugging away" This strong individual amazes me. God bless him 🙏
The homes have since been demolished
Make sure they reach out to their representatives For their area
4 idiots from FEMA came to my house on Long Island today asking about damage from Hurricane Irma a year ago. I told them we had no damage in this area. Get the hell out to Wisconsin!!
Well fema do not help kentucky
FEMA doesn't help people. just like the FAA, a running joke among pilots is " hello, i'm from the FAA and i'm here to help."
"I'm from the government and I'm here to help"
My heart breaks for all but the man in the beginning talking about 40 years of memories...really broke me!💔
My father and his two brothers grew up in Elroy and we drive through there every time we go to our property. Everything is still there exactly how you see it
You were very respectful -your work in sharing this situation, especially with the owner who would have appreciated having you with him to check on his house and his neighbourhood
Thank you. I just accidentally ran into him so I didn't know what to say. I'm glad it worked out
Thank you for this. These communities deserve to be remembered.
The heartland is underserved
@@queenfubi Because our government hates us.
I'm from Minnesota and we and Wisconsin have a Viking Packer rivalry but when you see this it just crush's your heart. Dam,what a sick terrible tragedy.
Did you notice the cheese hat at 3:03?
Damn bro this is some journalistic type stuff, crazy how these people haven't been compensated 12 years later
Compensated for what? If you build or live in a flood zone and you don't purchase insurance for flooding, who should pay for this?
You can see the love that people put into their homes. Its eerie that its all just left to nature now. The way that he spoke of his home of 40 years. Feel so bad for him losing all those memories in the home.
I couldn’t even imagine loosing my home after 40 years,especially to a flood. I feel for these people.
Losing*
Thank you for allowing this community to share their voice. Hopefully, something will come from it. These families lost everything
Infuriatingly, we'd rather help our enemies than hard-working loyal Americans.
Thank you for making this. These kinds of places deserve to be remembered.
I am just in total shock ! Where are the representatives for this town, county, or state ? All the Americans taxes are supposed to be there for an emergency like this. No, life isn't supposed to go on like this in the USA. There is something really corrupt going on here. Thanks for making this. This shows the darker side of USA where good working people who don't believe in being the loudest squeaky wheel get screwed by the system. How much money did these people allow the government to take out of their checks for the insurance of something like this happening. Really makes me sick !
And lets go brandon wants to give illegals 6figures for being detained separated when they came illegally!
F Democrat's....Americans first period
This is all because of Gov. Walker.
You can't trust FEMA or the Representatives or the Government
Too busy sending em to Pakistan for gender studies (I shit you not). Basically our aid elsewhere is just money laundering on a massive and international level.
@@jarvislarson6864 how much did trump do to help these folks? maybe they can move and get jobs at that huge brand new foxconn plant.
Ive always been fascinated by abandoned homes and neighborhoods and have often wondered how they got that way. This was very interesting- it makes me wonder how many other stories there are just like this one.
This is truly heartbreaking...I have never heard of this before. I hope and pray these people and families will be compensated enough to start a new life... Not in some apartment.
This is terrible I’m born and raised in Milwaukee and I’ve never heard about this town. As a Wisconsinite it was heartbreaking to hear that man’s story 40 years in a house of memories gone. Every family deals with it eventually my heart goes out to all the cheeseheads affected😢
Cheeseheads strong
They only care about blm. That's why u didn't hear it.
Same here. Never heard a word about this (or at least not enough coverage to make a mark in my mind).
its just a couple streets of the city
I live in Wisconsin and I recall the horror stories of the residents in the area surrounding Elroy. It's like one of those moments of sudden rememberance too. People talking about how their sump pump holes and drains started bubling up with flooding in water. And that church is one of the more beautiful ones too.
Pretty heartbreaking for those people and families.
Wow! Hopefully some good will come from you raising awareness about this situation. These people deserve better. FEMA needs to resolve their part, which should've been handled much quicker.
Good journalism! 💜✊
They probability didn't qualify.
I've lived in an area that was declared an emergency zone when there was an ice storm. Trees collapsed blocking roads, the power was out for like 2 weeks, stores were closed... FEMA did nothing xD. I think they trucked in generators for certain areas but my town didn't get any power til the power company fixed their stuff
FEMA is not flood insurance.
Thank you for sharing this. A really great video. Feel really bad for all the people. Very sad but thanks for getting their story out. 👍
Thanks wade 🙏 a lot of people don’t have voices in towns like this
This is incredibly sad, that man seen the home his children grew up in and he lived in for 40 years wiped out and he still visits
That home owner.. totally “Salt of the Earth” Wisconsinite… much respect
It is so tragic and breaks my heart. This is what it looks like after major hurricanes (I live in Florida). Sometimes there is so much structural damage the house is condemned and they have to leave everything behind. When houses are flooded it becomes a soup of everything imaginable. It is so heart wrenching to see exactly what we see down here after these storms happen way up north, just a different set of circumstances. I know that feeling of "what do I do now?" The stress is overwhelming. These incidents should have been covered more closely and these residents deserve help
Elroy is still thriving town but Franklin St is right next to the Baraboo River and a large wetland area. Strong summer rains make the Baraboo grow over it banks often. Tho the 2008/2018 floods were the worst for sure. I haven't been back home in a while but it's rough to see how that area of the town is disappearing especially the Luthern church.
I live in central NJ, which was hit hard by Super storm Sandy in 2012. A number of people lost their homes, just like here, and they're still suffering to this day...
It appeared to be a very beautiful place to live before the devastating flood. Sad.
It was man...
it still is.
The mainstreet is still nice but it is on a hill so that kept the older buildings safe.
Thanks for taking the time to show what this area is still dealing with.
Having worked in construction for many years, we worked on several homes that lost concrete block basement walls to hydrostatic pressure build up from bad downspouts drains.
This was the best selling point to individuals or families wanting to build a new home. 10 to 12 inch thick concrete walls simultaneously poured with the basement slab makes for a secure basement from flooding. With proper reinforcing these walls can withstand pressures from flooding. As for basement windows the forming and pouring of concrete wells is highly recommended while walls are being poured. Drainage system will be needed for the wells.
As nice as it is, don't build on low lying land or in flood zones, the government will never help. All broken promises.
i glad you tell it like it is. i like the bottom of your state ment dont build in flood plains. just learned something never knew concrete could be poured that way
Very interesting coming across this. Not long ago I was looking at some properties in Elroy via the internet and got to wondering about the obvious flood damage signs in the photos. Guess I know why now.
Thank you for showing us the church! Such incredible history and such a glorious church. That altar is wonderful🙌🏼
Right!
That church is so very, very German! Looks like the one near Minden in NRW where my ancestors were baptized and wed! The church in Addieville, IL where my ancestors settled built a very German church like the one in lovely Elroy.
As a father who bought an old house and fixed it up for my family, my heart breaks for these folks.
Your heart aches for this man and family, families. So sorry
I live in this town, its an amazing town with wonderful people.
Another town you could do a video on is wonewoc wi there a ton of abandon houses downtown from the flood. Or viola/readstown wi.
I’ve been to wonewoc but I didn’t see too many houses. Same with those other ones. Not sure what you mean. And yeah it’s quite sad seeing these floods do this to people. Nearly tested up while editing this video
@@StringerMedia I was born/raised here so I know tons of abandon places either due to flood, fires or just they simply passed away. Would love to see more abandon home videos in the area.
@@Dollyspartan97 comment some of the addresses or where to find them and I will take my bike out there this winter break. I found a school in west Lima but that’s it so far
@@Dollyspartan97 you wanna get back to me? Leaving soon
And Rock Springs....not much left of that town anymore....the houses and most businesses are gone and replaced with grass. It is also along the Baraboo River.
What a tragedy, how did this place flood like that. I'm glad they were people that you could talk to to find out more of what happened.
Listening to that gentleman discuss his experience thru this situation… Makes me incredibly grateful to have not gone thru this. Never know what could happen to your home. Sending those families all the love and good energy thru this nightmare. 🖤
In 2016 to 2017 I lived in Kendall WI. I worked at Walker stainless in Elroy WI. I eventually moved closer to the end of 2017. Crazy to see how much it's changed I remember those streets and houses and it's just a sad situation. There was alot of flooding in Monroe County from the same storms. The town of Leon was also under water.
I absolutely loved the blade runner blues intro sent chills down my spine hearing that again!
Before Back in like ninety- six when was like an eight year old child living at the Valley Trailer Park of Clatskanie, Oregon we'd been awoken by our parents in basically the complete middle of the night to at least waist- high water packed full of all of our belongings floating by in order to basically wade over to a bit of higher grounds due to a big ole flood that ended up completely blowing away the damn as well but completely understand what those people been through for real!! 🥰🥰
Would have like to have known more history about the town and why FEMA hasn't paid out for these people? Why hasn't the city or county or state gone after the government for the funds?
Well because when has the government ever done what they said they are going to do? People need to stop relying on government to save them because it's never going to work that way.
🤣
FEMA, like this Green Energy crap, is a scam to steal the taxes we pay into.
Aighnt yo business...
This happened to us in 2008 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. WE lost our home and our entire neighborhood. Now it is a urban campground because nothing can be built on the land again. Our neighborhood has been gone for years, so its surprising to see this town left standing.
That's astonishing. Stuff like this happens so often it's surreal
I used to live here, i had no idea this happened. I loved that town
I used to live really close to the Yellow River in Wisconsin. My dad always talked about how if a flooding ever happened our house would be fine since we were on a hill. Where most houses roofs started was the bottom of ours.
I hope he had a boat, as well, in order not to be stuck high and dry.
I live in baraboo which is probably an hour or so from Elroy. We had terrible flooding in 2008. I was only 7, but I remember walking down a park in the river and we walked through part of the river because it flooded so much into the land. We had mudslides too, I saw a shed almost completely buried in mud
It constantly amazes me how councils and States allow properties to be built next to or near a river and are then completely caught off-guard and surprised when the river floods and damages/destroys those properties. Does nobody bother to do any research before authorizing an area to be built on in regards building on potential flood planes? Sure it might be a super rare flood, but if the risk is above 0% you gotta address that. Flood defenses, build houses on stilts so the flood goes under rather than through properties. It's not like it's rocket science really. And properly compensate those who bought/built a house never knowing it was at risk of this for pete's sake!! We have this EXACT same problem in the North of the UK and it's becoming more common, sadly.
Hey we have regulations! You just can built within like 100 feet of the water :) all good! Lol
Yeah I feel the same way with the west coast burning every year
Houses in Grafton, Il are built right next to the Mighty Mississippi. On stilts. It's freaking cool!
They are supposed to built in a way to minimize damage. But the National Flood Insurance Progam was started in the late 60s and anything built before 1975 didn't have to follow code
I see this is from a year ago in 2020. This must have been the flood in 2018. I'm shocked to find out that FEMA was poorly run at that time. If you live in a flood plain, you need flood insurance. Too many people don't buy it. They changed the way they handle flood insurance. When flood insurance pays out you have to move. Many years ago, the Wisconsin village of Soldiers Grove moved the entire town to avoid the flooding that happened so often.
These poor people. I’m so sorry to all that went through this. You try to build a life and circumstances rip your efforts apart. While we see buildings, the previous residents see so many memories lost.
Well I was born in Reedsburg, spent every summer with my grandparents in Wonewoc,my aunt and uncle lived in Elroy,it was run down even in the 60s
The tower part is called a widows peek..So sad to see the the two older gentleman not wanting to let go of memory’s
You were so kind and respectful. How devastating, mother nature has no mercy.
Why building in flood zones is allowed to begin with is always amazing to me. You might like the view until the river floods your house.
I mean at least be prepared
I'm from south central Louisiana and down here if you want to stay where your from or around your family you have to live in a flood zone. My brother built a 10 foot hill to build his house on or else they could not insure it. We made it through Katrina. The 2016 flood. And about 2 hurricanes a year. It seems weird if you aren't from here but you almost get used to it. I've been pulling people out of their houses and swimming in flood waters as long as I can remember. The 2016 flood water was 10 feet high outside my house and they not only refused to evacuate us but the national guard gave us 3 hours warning before they left the area and would not come back to help
God bless this man ! I am sorry for those problems! I sounded like Waverly in Tennessee!
God be with everyone affected. Thank you so much for sharing this
So very sad that our government seems to care nothing about these people whether local, state or federal. Why?
what do you want the fed gov to do, the only thing i can see is pay then for their loss and do what grand forks nd DID TURN THE LAND IN TO A PARK
I've been here!!! Many times! I actually had no idea there were so many abandoned homes!. But I lived very close to here in Wisconsin during the first flood and it was CRAZY! Just found your channel, interesting stuff!
Thank you 🙏 i hope 🤞 they will rise again so beautiful 😍 place full of green 👌❤️
Native Texan but lived in Appleton Wisco for over 2 years. Did a 80ish mi Elroy to Sparta cycle loop, “there and back” starting in Elroy (2019) Rode the last 20mi pretty much at night due to my poor planning lol and didnt have a light. just my Iphone light LOL. I remember riding getting close to Elroy in the pitch black and the trail just like gave out and i flew on the ground. Luckily it was soft dirt. The trail had been completely washed out and i wasn’t sure why. I fell a couple more times that night and to make it more fun it started to drizzle. Shortly after i said screw the trail and hope on the adjacent road. It all makes sense now. Thanks for the upload. I enjoyed living in Wisconsin
Peter Egan, the Road and Track and Cycle World writer was raised in Elroy. Sad to hear the town is in such sad shape.
This is so sad . Never heard about this before. America needs to do better. Praying for all these people
Yep I live in PA and those same two stors hit my area too. Another of people including myself ended up with 4 to 8 ft water in basement. Concrete Bridges over a the headwaters of a bigger river got pushed of foundations and are still not passable to this day.
Man, my heart breaks for him
This is so sad, I can't imagine being in that situation, losing everything and still getting no compensation.
I didn’t even know about this. It’s a real eye opener when we can see footage like this. It’s a very lonely feeling there now and I can’t imagine having to wait on fema like this. That man had over 40 years in his home and is still waiting. Sad. Great footage and thank you for posting !
I think these people will continue to wait. I have heard that there are still area in Louisiana basically just abandoned after Hurricane Katrina. My dad used to have a farm in Elroy. I believe in the 70's, he applied to have a dike put on his property. The army corps of engineers came out and said it would help benefit the area to prevent flooding. It allowed him to have a man made pond on the property and thus doubled the value. Not sure how they came to that conclusion about the benefit cause if the pond got to full the overflow would go down a pipe into a wooded valley that was uninhabited. #quadstatecameras
I work in federal disaster aide it's all up to the president and the state to declare a federal disaster and authorize the right kind of aide the part that sucks is some counties just don't get opened up for the aide they need or are just outside the area authorized
Saddest urban exploration I've seen. Nothing quite like the sorrow that comes from an area left to rot that could have been saved. I feel for the residents who had to abandon their homes. So sad.
I am sure the removal of the dam system from the Baraboo river has lots to do with why the flooding happened.
"I am sure the removal of the dam system from the Baraboo river has lots to do with why the flooding happened." Well, just cause you are sure does not make it truth. What's your support of your position?
@@rodshop5897 Umm less control over the flow of water. There has been many areas that never used to flood until atfer they removed the dams. But i guess it starts with knowing what a dam does and why they were built to start with.
@@MrBurleyfish "it starts with knowing what a dam does and why they were built to start with." Oh, I agree, and have done just that.
From a well-researched and written article about the specific dams along the Baraboo river, "The dams along the Baraboo River were not flood control structures. Of Wisconsin’s 3,800 dams, only about 200 serve as flood control structures. Had they been in place during the most recent floods of 2008, the dams along the Baraboo River would have been
completely overtopped. Furthermore,
the strength of floodwaters could have
possibly led to a dam failure."
The more you know, right?
@Acer Acres I beg to differ and think you are very very wrong ...What dams are you talking about that failed? Because there are no dams left on the Baraboo river and it is 100% free flowing. They removed all the dams from the Baraboo river system in 1997 through 2002 then in 2008 low and behold the river flooded out many buildings and other areas along the river. Highway 33 between Portage and Baraboo got washed out I drover through the mess as it was happening and seen water almost to the top of the gas pumps where 33 and I90 cross.
@Acer Acres "I read a couple articles about that whole thing and you're very incorrect." Well, you seem to be arguing in my favor. Yes, the dams previously along the river were not designed for flood control, and did not provide safety from floods. That was my point, and indeed what I read in articles about the Baraboo river dams.
I never discussed whether or not people should be compensated.
"Government stupidity didn't just start yesterday" Agreed, people have been doing stupid things for as long as there have been people.
Thank you for posting. I rode the bicycle trail between Elroy and Sparta Wisconsin. Elroy was a nice town.
It's kinda sad that Elroy went from being a hub of commerce when the trains were still running to slowly deteriorating over the years. I lived in Elroy for a good chunk of my childhood and have a lot of fond memories of the town. I hope these people get compensated.
Prayer doesn't hurt.
really sad to see, it's so much more personal too hearing from some of the locals who were affected by this still around picking up the pieces so long after the disaster. hope they catch a break sooner rather than later.
My experience with fema is that they're great until the emergency is over then you are ON YOUR OWN. Things I have learned are 1. You can only depend on yourself at the end of the day. 2. Get the proper insurance coverage and a damn good agent. 3.Never buy any dwelling in any type of flood plane(renting is ok). Most importantly is that it is just stuff, you can get more stuff. People and pets should be the most important things you grab on the way out.
This is sad. It's a beautiful little town. Even now that it is abandoned, it looks like it was a great place to live. It's sunny and gorgeous there! I love little towns like that.
This is so sad. We need to be helping our own citizens instead of all the other countries.
Thats false belief the money given buy uneducated and or trusting is used for more Atrocities against humanity
Great job with editing, interviews and backstory. Excellent story teller!
Never thought of Wisconsin having a flooding issue before, until now. Crazy.
Wow...so sorry for these folks struggling. So scary and dangerous. Heartbreaking.
Amazing that no one has pumped the water from the basements.
With what money??
Park School looks much like the old Bartlett School in Eau Claire wi. Same design & time frame. We attended Bartlett in the late 1960’s until it was razed in 1973. It was heated with coal & had wrought iron coat hooks, huge windows & beautiful hardwood floors. Would love to come see your Park School some day and compare, oh and very enjoyable informative video! Thanks! 😊
Really sad, it truly would be mentally hard to walk away from a family home and the memories, praying for all those affected by this
I've lived in south Central Wisconsin most of my life. I wasn't aware of the 2018 flooding in Elroy, but I remember 2008 quite well. I lived about 45 minutes south in Madison at the time and when the Baraboo river broke, it was breaking news. There was no shortage of aerial video and photo coverage. I remember thinking how it looked apocalyptic at the time. Kinda reminded me of the movie Water World. I had never seen flooding so violent and water so deep. The only flooding I had seen that even came close was in and around Valonia, Indiana, where my mom lived in the early 2000s. The corner of my mom's house was just a few feet from the edge of the river so they at least were used to it and prepared for it. Elroy not so much...
I felt terrible for the people caught in that flooding, which wasn't limited to Elroy. I know that's the focus of this video but many surrounding areas were affected. It's insane (but in a really good way) that no one died as a result of all that.
Thank you for covering this! I've never seen the aftermath. Crazy that all those houses are just abandoned all these years later. But I understand why. No one wants to live through that again, let alone spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars either fixing or replacing the structures. I hope they're all doing well mentally too. That was quite traumatic! 🤯🤯🤯
Edit: I just wanted to add that I appreciate how respectful you are of all these people. You didn't go into everyone's house and play with things or take things. Some you didn't enter for obvious safety reasons but some because you thought they may still be returning. And I highly respect you for that. 🙂🙂🙂
I live near Portage. Last year it took on the name and the roads filled up extremely bad. Wisconsin seriously needs to look into updated irrigation systems.
You voted for that deadbeat republican governor, why didnt he do something about it? Too busy running for president?
Look at all the Democrat run cities… all full of crime, garbage and drugs
@@TheHomePros6221 that is all cities...
@@boristheamerican2938 So because the governor is republican you assume I voted 4 him. I don't give a toss republican or Democrat I just give a crap about who will do what is best of the options. Besides I'm a felon.
@@boristheamerican2938 Deadbeat Rebublican, Lol. That’s a paradoxical statement. You mean leech liberal democrat.
Wow..so sorry for this man and family and all families involved
We live in WI and remember this. So sorry this happened.
A lot of people are complaining it wasn’t in the news. The first flood in 2008 was on June 7th. I was on-duty in the control room at WKOW 27 that day. I spent more than 6 hours on-the-air covering the floods. I don’t remember if we made it all the way up to Elroy or not that day. It’s a blur. I think we were stopped at Baraboo from going farther north. But also, Elroy was overshadowed by the fact the Lake Delton dam failed in the same storm. That said, I did a quick Google search of “Elroy Wisconsin flood” and the first link was to a news article form 2008, plus, there was a bunch of coverage from my former station of the 2018 flood. Especially since Tommy Thompson was living in Elroy at the time and KO interviewed him.
Sad. A lot of these houses actually look salvageable, though. They would need to be jacked up and have the foundations repaired and then rehabbed. Sounds crazy, but I've seen it done with river flooding a few times over the years. Same process they use to pour concrete foundations under old stone foundation houses.
Yea the church dates back to the 1800s
I have fixed a lot of houses in worse shape than these, I wonder if the lack of action has something to do with some kink of red tape in the insurance business, or some government red tape.
@@timloveless5409 I believe FEMA owns them now that's why they won't fix them
I assume FEMA doesn't want anyone there because it flooded twice in 10 years.
@@penguin12902 Unfortunately, there is going to be a lot more of this, I am afraid. Recent, but already repeated flood zones are the kind of climate change result seen inland. Both FEMA & insurance companies don't want any rebuilding there. Most people think of climate change migrants as being people in other countries being driven to new countries or those living on the coasts, but this is what it looks like here.
Oh wow, I live in WI and don't recall hearing about the devastation these floods caused. Thanks for the information.
I know of another town like this but this town is abandoned due to Mine fire 🔥! That town is Centralia Pennsylvania! My Grandma and Grandpa lived in the next town over and we went through Centralia often!
I remember this all to well. I lived in Elroy in 2008 when the flood happened. Water was over waist high. I volunteered to help sandbag.
This is what happens when public officials take bribes... Proper surveys don't get done and things get built on flood plains...
"Forty years of memories." That is so incredibly sad, and it happens all the time whenever homes are lost to fire, flood, earthquakes, or other causes. I hope the were able to save the items in that cute little church.
So i just saw this youtube video of all the new flood prevention gadgets that are out there and that can be easily put into place to protect your property. Most of them stack or roll up to store when they are not needed. It was so neat to see something other than sandbags being used. No one has time to fill, transport, and stack sandbags during a flood.
However....the most important thing to keep is proper insurance on your home. If you live in a flood zone, your town should mandate that you carry flood insurance. There would be little need from fema or any other federal agencies, if each town made this into law and enforced when property taxes are due, so is proof of insurance for the home. If you can not afford the insurance, then you can not afford to live in that home.
It really grinds my gears that every coastal city that gets hit by a storm, gets help from the federal government. A government we all pay into. But little towns like this and places like washington, illinois always get passed over for help because they are in the middle of no where. All of us mid westerners pay into the federal government but never get assistance like the states along the coast do.
I think the reason we didn't hear about Elroy was Lake Delton/Wisconsin Dells got most of the press coverage. ☮️
I had no idea the entire town was wiped out. God bless you all
The whole town was NOT wiped out just certain parts got destroyed due to the flood
Not the whole town. There is a lot of the town that is on a hill probably the more historic region of the town what was wiped out was a smaller area.
I'm so sorry for the people in this town. That would be rough.