Progress Being Made In Waupun Following Storms

(Waupun) City officials in Waupun says great progress has been made in restoring power to residents affected by power outages from Tuesday’s storms. City Administrator Kathy Schlieve issued this press release Thursday afternoon:

 

The City of Waupun continues to recover after declaring a state of emergency from Tuesday’s strong thunderstorms.  As of this morning, an estimated ten residential customers remain without power and crews are working to troubleshoot those remaining issues with property owners.  Randy Posthuma, General Manager of Waupun Public Utilities emphasized that the balance of the day will be spent on troubleshooting those issues and assessing the situation.  He anticipates calling for additional mutual aid support from other public utilities in the WPPI network to return to Waupun tomorrow to further stabilize the system by addressing things such as broken utility pole replacement and branch removal from overhead lines.  A shelter at the Brandon Elementary School, 200 West Bowen Street, Brandon remains open for residents who are unable to remain in their homes.  Customers without power are reminded to call 920-324-9720 to report power outages.

As of this morning, Fond du Lac Street has reopened.  Gateway Drive and a small portion of Franklin Street remain closed.  Department of Public Works (DPW) crews are working on the north and northwest quadrants of the city on brush cleanup.  Residents should continue to move brush curbside for pickup or can haul brush to the City Garage located at 903 N Madison Street.  Dumpsters continue to be available to dispose of household items damaged by the storm and can be accessed at the City Garage. 

The National Weather Service in Sullivan, WI reports that an additional .5 to 1.5 inches of rain is expected in our area over the next three days, with much of that rain falling in a period between Friday evening and Saturday.  In anticipation of additional flooding, sandbags will be available at the City Garage on Friday, August 31 for resident pickup.  Additional bags and sand will be available for residents to fill as needed and residents are encouraged to take precautionary measures. 

All residents of the City of Waupun who have damage to their property as a result of this disaster should call 2-1-1 to report the damage.  The city has had an increased call volume from homeowners seeking help with tree removal and repairs and is currently working to establish a way to match volunteers to need.  Additional information on this need will be shared late afternoon today.”