Flash Flooding and Flooding in Wisconsin, July 19 to 27, 2017

In Nelson, 7 inches of rain fell.

In Arcadia, 7.44 inches of rain fell.

Northwest of Ettrick, 6.24 inches of rain fell.

Near Dodge, 6 inches of rain fell.

In La Crosse, 6 inches of rain fell.

In the Township of Marietta, 6.25 inches of rain fell.

In Hillsboro, 7 inches of rain fell.

Power lines were blown down in Alma.

Heavy rains of 6 to 8 inches across the southern half of Buffalo County produced flash flooding. A mudslide covered a portion of State Highway 37 north of Alma. Portions of County Road O were completely covered by water and the road was closed between Cochrane and State Highway 88. Numerous streets were covered by standing water in Fountain City. Around a half dozen roads were closed across the county because of the flooding.

Heavy rains, with totals of 6 to 8 inches, produced flash flooding across the southern sections of Trempealeau County. Arcadia was hit the hardest by the flash flooding. Water rescues had to be performed and all roads in and out of the city were closed due to flood waters. Oak Street was washed out and the water flooded dozens of homes and businesses. One manufacturing plant was destroyed by the flooding and a basement wall of one home collapsed. The manufacturing company lost over $1.5 million because of lost production. State Highway 95 was closed between Arcadia and the Jackson County line because of flooding along Turton and Lakes Coulee Creeks and the Trempealeau River. In Galesville, business along Tamarack Creek were inundated by flood water, including the fire station. The swing bridge over the creek was washed away. Numerous roads were covered by 1 to 2 feet of water including portions of U.S. Highway 53, State Highway 93 and County Roads D and T. At least 15 roads across the county were closed because of the flooding.

Runoff from heavy rains pushed the Kickapoo River out of its banks in Ontario. The river crested over five feet above the flood stage at 23.17 feet. This was a crest of record for this site.

Runoff from heavy rain pushed the Trempealeau River out of its banks in Dodge. The river crested over three feet above the flood stage at 12.19 feet.

Runoff from heavy rains pushed the La Crosse River out of its banks near La Crosse. The river crested almost four and a half feet above the flood stage at 11.94 feet. This was a crest of record for this site.

Heavy rains, with totals of 6 to 8 inches, produced flash flooding across La Crosse County. The Shelby Fire Department had to evacuate people along County Road M in the township of Greenfield. Some of these evacuations had to be made by boat. Other rescues had to be made along Kammell Coulee Road southeast of St. Joseph. County Road U was closed between Bangor and Rockland due to flooding along Fish Creek. Flood waters along Mormon Creek washed out the approaches to both sides of a bridge on Breidel Coulee Road south of Barre Mills. Some streets in Onalaska were washed out or completely underwater. Numerous streets in the city of La Crosse were underwater causing a giant sinkhole to form near Myrick Park. Every state and county highway, with the exception of Interstate 90 and U.S. Highway 53, sustained some damage. At least 60 township roads across the county were closed or impacted by flood waters. In Bangor, flood waters from Dutch Creek washed away the pedestrian walking bridge in Veterans Memorial Park. Boats on Lake Neshonoc broke loose from their moorings and became lodged against the dam. All the trails in the Hixton Forest suffered erosion damage that caused holes and blowouts to form. The damage to the trails caused a mountain bike race course to be limited to trails that stayed on top of the bluffs. A bike trail along Halfway Creek near Holmen was washed out in several places with other damage caused by logjams and debris in the water.

Runoff from heavy rains pushed the Trempealeau River out of its banks in Arcadia. The river crested over a foot and half above the flood stage at 9.61 feet.

After heavy rains of 4 to 6 inches, flash flooding occurred across the southwest sections of Jackson County. French Creek went out of its banks sending water over County Road X southeast of Taylor. The townships of Springfield, Franklin and North Bend were hit the hardest with several roads either washed out or damaged from the flooding. Two homes sustained minor damage during the flooding.

Runoff from heavy rains pushed the Kickapoo River out of its banks in Readstown. The river crested almost eight feet above the flood stage at 18.77 feet.

Heavy rains, with totals of 6 to 8 inches, produced flash flooding across the central and eastern sections of Vernon County. The headwaters of the Kickapoo River quickly went out of the banks and caused widespread flooding in Ontario. Much of the town was covered in flood waters that prompted State Highways 33 and 131 to be closed. Evacuations were performed east of Westby along Bloomingdale Road, which was closed because of flooding. A mudslide east of Viroqua covered State Highway 56. A rock slide occurred on Mohawk Valley Road north of Stoddard. Water covered County Road P and Spring Coulee Road northeast of Coon Valley and State Highway 162 between Coon Valley and Stoddard. Because of the flooding, campers were evacuated from numerous campgrounds across the county.

Runoff from heavy rains pushed the La Crosse River out of its banks in Sparta. The river crested almost four feet above the flood state at 12.26 feet. This was a crest of record for this site.

A lightning strike started an apartment building fire just west of Galesville. Six apartment units were a total loss as a result of the fire.

Runoff from heavy rains pushed the Kickapoo River out of its banks in Viola. The river crested over six feet above the flood stage at 20.25 feet.

Heavy rains, with totals of 6 to 8 inches, produced flash flooding across the western and central sections of Monroe County. A mudslide occurred between Sparta and Tomah in the Jackson Pass area that blocked State Highway 16. In Sparta, water spilled over the dam at Perch Lake prompting officials to advise people who lived downstream along the La Crosse River to evacuate, including a trailer park and water went over several roads. Around 10 roads across the county were closed because of the flooding.

Runoff from heavy rains pushed the Kickapoo River out of its banks in La Farge. The river crested over three above the flood stage at 15.16 feet.

Runoff from heavy rain caused flooding to occur over the eastern portions of Crawford County, especially along the Kickapoo River. This flooding closed State Highway 131 near Stueben and State Highway 171 near Gays Mills. The flooding waters in Stueben lifted asphalt up and off the road bed. Across the northeast part of the county, numerous bridge approaches were damaged by flood waters. Two homes in the county sustained major damage from the flooding with another two having minor damage.

Runoff from heavy rains pushed the Kickapoo River out of its banks in Soldiers Grove. The river crested almost five feet above the flood stage at 17.75 feet.

Heavy rains, with totals of 6 to 8 inches, produced flash flooding across the central and eastern sections of Richland County. The heavy rains caused the Pine River to go out of its banks which prompted sandbagging to occur in Yuba, closed State Highway 80 at County Road D and caused flooding to occur in Richland Center.

After the initial flash flooding across Trempealeau County, the flood waters continued to cause problems through July 20th into the 21st. Flooding along the Little Tamarack Creek caused evacuations to occur in Galesville and flooded the fire department building. Homes in Galesville and Blair were reported to have 5 to 6 feet of water in some basements. Two homes were destroyed, 12 sustained major damage and 52 suffered minor damage during the flooding.

After the initial flash flooding across Buffalo County, the flood waters continued to cause problems through July 20th into the 21st. Flood waters along Eagle Creek washed out a bridge on County Road G north of Fountain City.

After the initial round of flash flooding, the lingering flood waters continued to cause problems across Monroe County into Friday, July 21st. Thirty-nine families across the county had to be evacuated and another 56 were affected by the flooding. State Highway 131 in the far southern part of the county was closed because of flooding along the Kickapoo River and State Highway 27 between Leon and Sparta was also closed. Several township roads were flooded along the La Crosse and Baraboo Rivers. A total of 10 state or county highways were closed because of the flooding. One home sustained major damage and another eight suffered minor damage.

After the initial round of flash flooding, the flood waters continued to cause problems into Friday, July 21st. Numerous roads across the county remained closed until the flood waters receded.

After the initial flash flooding across Richland County, the flooding continued to cause problems through July 20th into the 21st. The flooding along the Pine River prompted an apartment complex to be evacuated and a shelter to be opened in Richland Center. Over a dozen roads were closed across the county because of the flooding. Nine homes sustained minor damage during the flooding.

After the initial round of flash flooding, the flood waters continued to cause problems across much of Vernon County into Friday, July 21st. More than 50 roads across the county were closed or impacted by the flood waters. In Coon Valley, the annual Trout Festival had to be cancelled and the American Legion Baseball tournament was moved to an alternate site outside of the county. Numerous homes in Westby had water in their basements. In Ontario, flood waters from the Kickapoo River covered most of the community. Numerous homes had water in their basements and dozens of cars were inundated by the flood waters with one Vernon County Sheriff's Department squad car destroyed.

Runoff from heavy rains pushed the Kickapoo River out of its banks in Gays Mills. The river crested just over five feet above the flood stage at 18.08 feet.

Runoff from heavy rains pushed the Kickapoo River out of its banks in Steuben. The river crested almost four feet above the flood stage at 15.98 feet.