When you live on a private road, getting emergency help is a little more difficult than a homeowner would think. Folks who live in the Scenic Valley Addition near Maple Grove Country Club found that out last week when snowmelt overwhelmed their storm sewer system and flooded streets and basements along Ceresa Drive.

“Trying to get help out here was a nightmare,” said resident Curt Edwardson. He spent hours wading through water in hip waders to find the manhole covers and clear them. His wife Janelle said she was on the phone three hours trying to get help.

“I don’t know whether to siphon the two-feet of water in the basement through the bathroom or the utility room or where,” said Margette Longworth.

Longworth said someone with the transportation department called to say her children had been dropped off at another location because of flooding and she needed to go home to pick them up.

Apparently the school bus couldn’t get through the water.

Longworth and close to 36 other homeowners along Ceresa Drive found out emergency response to their area was a bit of a bureaucratic mess.

Because the development is private and the road is private, the town of Hamilton has no jurisdiction for services. The residents have a homeowners association and contract for road and other services.

Debris from the neighboring farm had washed down onto the street and was clogging the drains, adding to the flooding problem. The deluge occurred due to the sudden melting of snow on the golf course and the farm field to the south of them.

One home had five feet of water in its basement.

For hours, Edwardson pushed his way through the water with a rake keeping the drains cleared.

“It started about noon,” Edwardson said. “But no one would come because it’s a private drive.” His wife had first called the West Salem Fire Department who gave her the names of every member of the Hamilton Town Board. She called them all.

Her main concern was getting the manholes uncovered but she said she could not get anyone to understand that.

“We finally called La Crosse fire department and they told us to call 9-1-1. I did. I talked to them three times. They had me get off the emergency line and call dispatch.

“Meanwhile my house is being flooded. Everyone was waiting on someone else. I know they weren’t prepared. As the homeowner trying to save the house, it was very frustrating. Everyone was willing to evacuate us but we just wanted help.”

Somehow a message got to somebody at the emergency management department of La Crosse County, who contacted the West Salem Fire Department. By the time West Salem firefighters got there, it was about 3:30 and the water was waist deep.

While Fire Chief Dave Munson said they didn’t have to respond because of the ownership issue, they did. “We came to help them out.”

The fire department provided pumps to drain the water back into the field behind the houses. They also used the fire truck to ferry residents into and out of the development.

While the development was platted in 1995 and recorded in 1998, the residents had never had an emergency like this.

“Every once in a while when the snow melts, we’ll get a lot of water,” Edwardson said. “But nothing like this.”

Town Supervisor Eve Zellmer was there helping to ferry residents after the fire department had to leave for another potential flooding situation.

The Hamilton Town Board met that night and decided not to bill the homeowner’s association for the fire department and road crew services.

“We’ll absorb this to assist the citizens in this natural disaster,” Zellmer said.

While residents fight with insurance companies for damages, everyone’s asking who’s responsible helping the residents of the area in emergencies.

Zellmer indicated that when the development began, the developer had to maintain the road for three years. Then the town could take over if the residents wished.

The residents never petitioned the town for taking over. They formed a homeowner’s association and pay dues and contract with vendors to do maintenance work. When a new house is being built, the homeowner has to cut the road to put in sewer hookups.

Zellmer said to have the town take over now the residents would have to bring the road up to town specifications, which could cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. They would have to petition the town for it.

“The leaders of the homeowners association would have to get motivated to fix the problems,” Zellmer said. “The town of Hamilton will offer support and guidance. But the solution is in their court.”

Edwardson said something needs to be done.

“Either work with the farmer to build a berm or with the golf course.

“I don’t want to do this again. We got lucky," he said. "We feel fortunate the damage wasn’t as bad as we were afraid it could be.”