Winter storm damage total tops $1 million

Local officials finished submitting their preliminary claims to Rusk County Emergency Management last week. These estimates — totaling close to $1.03 million — will be forwarded to the Wisconsin Disaster Fund Coordinator within Wisconsin Emergency Management.

The Wisconsin Disaster Fund is a state-funded reimbursement program that allows local governmental units — namely, counties, cities, townships, villages, and tribal units of government — to recoup costs incurred while responding to and recovering from disaster incidents. The state reimburses 70 percent of eligible costs after the local governmental unit submits a complete WDF application. 

The fund reimburses public disaster costs under three categories of work including debris clearance, protective measures and road and bridge repair. It does not cover individuals, businesses, agricultural sector, costs associated with snowstorms or damages covered by insurance. It also does not provide funds for mitigation activities. 

National Weather Service data shows 17 inches of snow fell at a weather station 3 miles west of Ladysmith between last Dec. 13 and 17 for a 5-day total of 17 inches with the highest 24-hour total of 10 inches on Wednesday, Dec. 14.

NWS data shows 14.3 inches of snow was recorded at the Ladysmith Wastewater Treatment Plant during this same period for a 5-day total of 14.3 inches in the city with the highest 24-hour total of 12.2 inches on Wednesday, Dec. 14. 

There were no 24-hour records or near-records during this period. The 3-day snowfall record for this area is 20.2 inches.

The County must be within 10% or exceed the highest record snowfall within the county for either a 1, 2 or 3 day time period.

According to National Centers for Environmental Information at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration the snowfall record for Rusk County over a 1-day period is 16.0 inches in Sheldon on Dec. 11, 2010. The snowfall record for Rusk County over a 2-day period is 18.0 inches in Ladysmith on Dec. 12, 2010. The snowfall record for Rusk County over a 3-day period is 20.0 inches in Ladysmith on Dec. 12, 2010.

Downed trees caused most of the damage being claimed, according to Rusk County Emergency Management Director Tom Hall. He called the preliminary claim estimates “a best guess” by local officials at the current time.

“Now they have to go out and do damage assessment,” said Hall, who added the process of documenting and proving the estimates now begins.

Damage assessment documentation can be completed using several methods including by taking photographs, cataloging in a computer survey application and the paperwork intensive listing each damage site on a separate sheet of paper. This information then is forwarded to Wisconsin Emergency Management for review and reimbursement.

Reimbursements are allowed for expenses above and beyond regular workday obligations. This includes costs for items like paying staff overtime, hiring additional labor and contracting for machinery to do debris removal. It also is restricted to work to clear roadways, not recreational corridors like those for snowmobiling or skiing. Regular payroll staff time that is not overtime is not reimbursed.

There are other programs available to assist with clearing snowmobile trails and other public use lands, according to Hall.

“There are so many different programs going on,” Hall said. “The Wisconsin Disaster Fund is mostly roads.”

With the vast amount of damage municipalities may not know true cleanup costs for several more months when all the snow melts, Hall added. Then the costs will be totaled and submitted to the state.

“Most won’t be done cleaning up until July,” Hall said.

Cost estimates

The combined town cost estimate total in Rusk County is entirely for debris clearance at $507,244. Town officials did not claim any added costs for protective measures, roads and bridges or other work. The town of Atlanta north of Bruce with $101,250 in total claims had twice as much as the next closest town, Dewey north of Tony with $42,075

The Rusk County cost estimate total is $132,000. This includes $100,000 for debris clearance, $12,000 for protective measures and $20,000 for other costs.

The city of Ladysmith cost estimate total is $115,357. This includes $112,857 for debris clearance and $2,500 for protective measures.

Electric cooperatives with services in Rusk County submitted $257,298 in claims. The Barron County Electric Cooperative cost estimate total is $197,298. This includes $121,660 for debris clearance and $75,638. The Jump River Electric Cooperative cost estimate total is $60,000. This includes $29,000 for debris clearance, $30,000 for protective measures and $1,000 for other costs. Only electric cooperatives are eligible for reimbursement, which is why there is no claim from Xcel Energy.

If all the claims are authorized by Wisconsin Emergency Management,  Rusk County governments and electric cooperatives could recover $720,929 of their winter storm recovery costs.

Villages in Rusk County claimed $18,000 total with no claims for protective, roads and bridges and other costs.

Must be documented

“Now we have to prove that damage cost,” Hall said. “You have to prove every single dollar, and what you can prove you get reimbursed 70 percent.”

Those seeking reimbursement now face a potentially lengthy task of assembling documentation to back up their claims through contractor agreements, equipment rental receipts, hired worker time sheets and other forms of physical evidence.

Hall emphasized the report now being submitted to Wisconsin Emergency Management is preliminary. These estimates can change during the documentation process or by deadline extensions as more damage costs occur during the cleanup. There is also the possibility to appeal any decisions made at the state level.

“These are all guesses right now. I don’t know if it is going to be that high when everything is all said and done,” Hall said.

County officials will now submit the preliminary claim with the state. State officials will enter claim information that qualifies into an on-line database. This information can then be reviewed online by local claimants with a user name and password.

The first deadline to justify these claims is Feb. 15.

“Some of these folks who have $100,000 in damage it will nice to get $70,000 of that back,” Hall said.

More than half of the preliminary damage claim total covers four entities. Barron Electric Cooperative is claiming $197,298. Rusk County is claiming $132,000. The city of Ladysmith is claiming $115,357, The town of Atlanta is claiming $101,250. 

All of the town claims are for debris clearance. The towns filed no claims for protective measures, roads and bridges and other expenses.

Because of per-capital claim limits based on population data from the U.S. Census, not every municipality qualifies for reimbursement. The threshold is currently $4.44 per capita.

“Each municipality has to reach that level and for WDF there is a $500 minimum so one town will not qualify unless actual damages are at least that,” Hall said.

The villages of Bruce, Hawkins and Sheldon did not submit claims. The towns of South Fork and Willard did not submit claims.

Hall said he encouraged officials at all eligible governments and utilities to submit a preliminary claim. He said submitting a claim at least gets their name in the system should currently unknown eligible damage be discovered in the coming months.