Flood, Lafayette
- When
- February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 23, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Lafayette forecast zone
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Crop damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 42.661, -90.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood in Wisconsin, February 18 to 23, 1997
Flooding occurred along the Pecatonica River in and near Darlington (Lafayette county) due to the combination of 1 inch rains, rapidly melting snow, and a nearly frozen ground. Ice action and minor ice jamming complicated and enhanced the flooding in some spots.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Crop damage
- $10,000
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS MKX wrote it up.
Flooding occurred along the Pecatonica River in and near Darlington (Lafayette county) due to the combination of 1 inch rains, rapidly melting snow, and a nearly frozen ground. Ice action and minor ice jamming complicated and enhanced the flooding in some spots. Numerous roads south of Darlington were covered with water, as well as a few north of the city. Other roads were closed due to local flooding, such as County C in the northwest part of the county, County H in the northeast, Wisconsin 176 in the southeast, and County K near Gratiot. Some farm soil erosion ($10,000) and road shoulder washouts ($5000) occurred.The Pecotonica River at Darlington rose above its flood stage of 11 feet at 2215 CST on the 18th, crested at 14.69 feet at 2145 CST on the 21st, and went below flood stage at 0515 CST on the 23rd. The crest was a 2 to 5 year flood, and overall flooding was "moderate."
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flooding in Iowa, February 18 to 24, 1997
- Flooding in Nebraska, February 18 to 28, 1997
- Flood in Wisconsin, February 18 to 28, 1997
- Flooding in Iowa, February 18 to 28, 1997
- Strong Wind in Massachusetts, February 18, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Oregon, February 18 to 19, 1997
- Flash Flood in Wisconsin, February 18 to 21, 1997
More
Every storm in Wisconsin in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, February 1997
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5590917.