Flash Flood in Wisconsin, August 5, 1998

A series of thunderstorms, slowly moving northeast at 10 mph, trained through the Whitewater area... dumping 4 to 8 inches of rain between 0630CST and 1100CST. The resultant flash flooding closed some city roads due to water levels of 1 to 3 feet. Several stalled cars were reported. Water poured into the lower level of two UW-Whitewater buildings. In one of the buildings, water depths reach 4 feet, resulting in damage to the A/C system and electrical system. The loss of power resulted in the loss of a police radio frequency, since the radio equipment is housed in this building. Two homes suffered contents damage, while 1 business reported substantial damage. On the south side of the city, surging waters in a drainage ditch eroded the southwest embankment of the intersection of Highways 59 and 89. The synoptic reasons for this flooding can be found in the August 4th entry for flash flooding in Columbia Co.