Dane County Looking at How to Help Hurricane Katrina Victims

September 02, 2005
Lesley Sillaman, Office of the County Executive (608) 267-8823 or cell (608) 669-5606
County Executive

Even as Dane County works to respond to the disastrous tornadoes which hit the southeast portion of the county August 18th, the county is now looking at how it can help victims of Hurricane Katrina. “We grieve for all the people who have been affected by this horrible tragedy, said County Executive Kathleen Falk. “We are working with state and federal officials to determine what aid is needed and available. We think we can be most helpful if we respond to specific requests from organizations in the field in Louisiana and Mississippi.” Dane County has already received a request from the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services asking if the county could accept nursing home patients from the storm impacted area, if needed, at the Badger Prairie Health Care Center. “We told the State that we can take patients based on the vacant beds we have,” said Lynn Green, Director of the Dane County Department of Human Services. Currently, two beds are available. Meanwhile Dane County remains in close contact with the State to see what additional formal requests for assistance may be coming from the Federal government or other responsible agencies in the Gulf Coast states affected by Hurricane Katrina. “We expect that some of the people displaced and hit so hard by Katrina will make their way to Dane County seeking refuge,” said Green, who added the county is willing to help and will be working with the appropriate authorities to determine what would be useful and what resources might be available to Dane County to help these people. # # #