Rain, runoff causes damage around city

by Dan Groeschel

Six inches of precipitation is a figure many residents of cities and towns in northern states are used to hearing in winter. Most of these residents barely bat an eye when they hear that figure, simply carrying on with the rest of their day, working through the six inches that fell. However, most of these residents know that six inches of snow is drastically different than six inches of rain.

According to the National Weather Service, seven inches of rain fell in Osseo between mid-day Sept. 6 and the morning of Sept. 7. About six inches fell in the villages and towns around Osseo. All of that precipitation led to runoff and the Buffalo River and Lake Martha’s water levels to rise. Both these factors led to damage around the city.

Experts say about 40 homes and businesses experienced some damage related to the flood conditions. The damage reports ranged from just a few inches of water in basements to needing to remove siding to treat the home for mold.

“Most homes will need to rip up the carpet or flooring in the basement,” said Mike Hallum, assistant chief of the Osseo Rural Fire Department. Hallum’s home was among those with water in the basement, but he said the damage was limited to the flooring.

While a damage estimate was not made available for the city of Osseo, Trempealeau County officials estimate about $1.1 million in damage around the county can be directly attributed to the Labor Day weekend rainfall.

Hallum said 5,000 sand bags were laid down around the city. In the days following the water levels returning to a normal level, more than 50 people volunteered to help pick up the sand bags and help homes and businesses clean up.