Posted Monday, July 7 --- 5:45pm

It's been a month since severe storms ripped through South Central Wisconsin, causing widespread flooding. Now, aid to Wisconsin residents is surpassing a million dollars a day.

"A lot of echoes is what's left down here," Sandra Dodge says.
Dodge's basement is empty. Echoes of her past sit piled -- where everyone can see them -- in a dumpster.

"... the funny thing is it's really not big enough...," she says of the dumpster.

The June flooding displaced her family and ruined many of her things.
"I'm trying not to think about it because I don't want to cry."

Dodge lives outside of Columbus.

"I like how it looks like beachfront property here," she says of a photo of her flooded home.

The Crawfish River sits on the other side of those trees. If you can imagine, all of this under water. The water came in through Sandra's backyard. She was actually in the basement when the water came rushing through the windows.

"It was only a couple of inches away from taking the house," she says.
Dodge evacuated on Monday, June 9th. Five days later, the president declared Columbia County and four other counties federal disaster areas.

"We are the new FEMA," Federal Coordinating Officer Dolph Diemont says.

Dolph Diemont coordinates the agency's response in Wisconsin.

"When the governor requested the President to declare this area, we had already assessed damages in six counties."

"The pile is starting to grow," Dodge says of her receipts for home repairs.

Dodge already has received more than $5, 000 for home repairs and housing.

"It's amazing the process was so fast, about a week."

She's one of nearly 30-thousand individuals to register for federal aid in Wisconsin. FEMA says the approval rate for home repair assistance is almost 80 percent. Someone could be denied if insurance covers the cost.

"The message is we'll help you if you're eligible, and most people are eligible," Diemont says.

He says this response has been by the book thanks to local agencies. It's a view held by the director of FEMA himself.

"He went on national TV and said if you want to see how it should be done, come to Wisconsin," Diemont says.

...where, flood victims like Dodge dust themselves off... and begin to write a new chapter in their history with a little help along the way.

"It was more than what anyone could ever expect so we're very pleased to get any assistance whatsoever," Dodge says.

Remember, the deadline to register with FEMA for individual assistance is August 13th.