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A report of two inches of rain falling on Romance in Vernon County early Thursday morning had emergency management officials concerned.

Vernon County emergency and government workers met with an official from the Federal Emergency Management Agency early Thursday as the rain fell. Third District Congressman Ron Kind (D-La Crosse) was in attendance and summed up the thoughts of many who have been dealing with flood conditions for the past five days.

“We really need to catch a break with the weather,” Kind said. "We're praying for some dry weather."

Thursday morning’s briefings on flood conditions in Vernon County included that 72 roads remained closed. That’s down from 113 roads, which were impassible after nine inches of rain fell in the county last weekend and caused widespread flooding, especially in the Kickapoo River valley.

Heavy equipment on Thursday morning worked in the rain to continue to create a breach in the Yttri-Primmer dam in central Vernon County. The dam suffered damage in the floods of August 2007 and was further damaged in flooding this past week. The breach was deemed necessary to prevent an unpredictable failure of the dam.

On Wednesday afternoon, municipal officials gathered at the Vernon County courthouse and reported a combined $6.5 million in damage, mainly to roads. In addition to that, $5.5 million in crop damage, just to hay, corn and soybeans, has already been reported.

Linda Nederlo, the public information officer for the Vernon County Emergency Operations Center, said that the official from FEMA and other county officials headed out Thursday morning to Viola to inspect damage in that village, which was heavily flooded Sunday night. Another stop will also be made in La Farge, Nederlo said. The FEMA tour is just preliminary and will be used as information submitted to President George W. Bush as he decides if Vernon County should be declared a federal disaster area.

Kind said that FEMA director David Paulison was expected to visit Wisconsin on Saturday. Paulison was to travel through Iowa first to view damage caused by flooding and tornados. Four people reportedly died in a tornado at a Boy Scout camp near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Wednesday. There has also been heavy flooding in the Cedar Rapids area earlier this week.

Nederlo said Vernon County’s main concern remained with the weather and falling rain, which was expected to continue through Thursday afternoon.

Kind said that long-term solutions will have to be examined when considering the fate of Gays Mills in Crawford County, which has sustained devastating flooding twice in the past 10 months. He also said that a long-term solution needs to be considered for Vernon County's ongoing damage to its earthen dams.

"The one thing that I'm strengthened by is the response that has come from people helping each other during this disaster," Kind said. "Strangers have helped strangers. It's inspirational."

Those with property damage due to the flooding are urged to call Vernon County at 637-6381 or 637-6386 to have an assessment team visit. Vernon County Emergency Management Director Jerry Crotsenberg said that people should take photos of flood damage before cleaning it up. Nederlo added that flood clean up kits are available at shelters in Ontario, La Farge, Viola and at Peace Lutheran Church in Readstown.

A list of road closures can be found online at www.vernoncounty.org

Farmers with crop and property damage should call the Farm Service Agency in Vernon County at 608-637-2183.