Flood, Rock
- When
- February 20, 8:00 PM CST to February 24, 4:00 AM CST
- Where
- Rock forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 42.671, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood in Wisconsin, February 20 to 24, 1997
5 inches across Rock county into the 21st, coupled with rapid snow melt and a nearly frozen ground, resulted in widespread flooding of lowlands in the county. The Sugar River in the southwest corner flooded over or closed roads in that area, halting traffic west of Avon.
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
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- $5,000
- 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.
Overnight rains of .75 to 1.5 inches across Rock county into the 21st, coupled with rapid snow melt and a nearly frozen ground, resulted in widespread flooding of lowlands in the county. The Sugar River in the southwest corner flooded over or closed roads in that area, halting traffic west of Avon. East of Janesville in the Greenbelt area, some roads were covered with up to 3 feet of water at the time of highest water levels. Rising water at one point threatened to spill over Highway 14 east of Janesville. High water was reported on roads near Orfordville, Brodhead, and Avalon. Elsewhere, Turtle Creek overflowed its banks in several spots and flooded local roads. Beloit also had several road closures due to high water levels. Overall, at least 36 road locations in the county had water over them, or were closed for stretches of time. Some minor farm soil erosion was noted ($5,000).
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
- Flood in Texas, February 20 to 21, 1997
- Tornado in Arkansas, February 20, 1997
- Flooding in Illinois, February 20 to 22, 1997
- Tornado in Texas, February 20, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, February 20, 1997
- Flash Flood in Texas, February 20, 1997
- Flash Flooding in Illinois, February 20 to 24, 1997
- Flash Flood in Texas, February 20, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Arkansas, February 20, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Arkansas, February 20, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Arkansas, February 20, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Texas, February 20, 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: 5590919.