Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker stopped in Gays Mills briefly on Saturday afternoon to discuss last week’s flooding and the recovery effort.

Walker began by explaining he had just declared a State of Emergency in 13 counties, including Crawford County, as a result of recent flooding. Wisconsin National Guard Major General Don Dunbar and Wisconsin Emergency Management Administrator Brian Satula accompanied Walker on his tour of storm damage in Gays Mills and other areas of western Wisconsin.

The governor told a small group of local officials and reporters gathered on the back lawn of the Gays Mills Community Commerce Center that the first priority of state, county and municipal governments was to make sure people were safe.

 He praised the efforts of first responders including local fire departments and county sheriff’s departments for their work in assisting residents during the flood.

However, Walker urged citizens to beware of dangerous situations and to stay off roads that the county highway departments are posting as not safe.

“Our first priority must be safety,” Walker said. He praised the work of the Red Cross and Salvation Army in providing assistance to those impacted by the storms.

The governor also emphasized the importance of documenting damage through county emergency management offices. He explained that if the damage proves severe enough, federal assistance will be made available.

Walker noted the threshold to receive FEMA assistance can be rather high and that makes the need for thorough documentation even more important.

The governor and others left Gays Mills by helicopter from the Crawford County Fairgrounds to view the flooding in the area from the air.