July 26, 2016
MARSHFIELD – Marshfield Clinic AmeriCorps and Tribal AmeriCorps Program teams are helping with the cleanup and recovery efforts after recent flooding on the Bad River Tribal lands near Odanah in Ashland County.
AmeriCorps members, under the leadership of the Marshfield Clinic Center for Community Outreach staff, are working with the Bad River Flood Command Center to assist with the Command Centers Resource Center and support disaster cleanup in the local community. AmeriCorps members arrived Sunday and will complete their short-term project Thursday, July 28.
More than a foot of rain that fell July 11 caused devastating flooding that damaged or destroyed nearly a dozen homes and businesses, washed away roadways and left many places underwater.
Gov. Scott Walker issued a State of Emergency for Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Iron, Price, Sawyer and Washburn counties following torrential rain that caused more than $36 million in damage to roads and bridges, according to Wisconsin Emergency Management. He requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct a preliminary damage assessment, the first step toward requesting federal disaster assistance.
"The Bad River community suffered severe damage from the storm and still needs assistance in the cleanup and recovery effort," said Brian Blahnik, Marshfield Clinic AmeriCorps director. "We thank our host organizations and coalitions for allowing our dedicated members to respond and help the Bad River community return to normalcy. Responding to the communities we serve in their time of need is at the core of what we do."
Marshfield Clinic has more than 70 AmeriCorps members who provide service assisting, organizing and supporting community coalitions to meet critical needs in education, public safety, health and the environment across Wisconsin.
Tribal AmeriCorps Program has about a dozen members serving 11 tribal nations in Wisconsin helping tribal-guided projects to address health priorities.
Marshfield Clinic provides patient care, research and education with more than 50 locations in northern, central and western Wisconsin, making it one of the largest comprehensive medical systems in the United States.
