Flooding in Crawford County
These two engines, along with five other railroad cars derailed just north of Ferryville at approximately 5:45 a.m. Thursday. There were no injuries. (Photos by Ted Pennekamp)
Volunteers filled sand bags in the village of Steuben near the flooded Kickapoo River Thursday morning.
The Kickapoo River was well over its banks at Steuben.
Sugar Creek Park at Ferryville was flooded.
Work was being done Thursday to repair damage to the southbound lane of Highway 35 north of Ferryville.
The Kickapoo River surrounds the Kickapoo River Museum at the dam in Gays Mills on Friday. The dam was completely under water. The river crested at 18.1 feet Friday. It was at 13.7 feet at 8 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 26 and dropping. Flood stage at Gays Mills is 13 feet.
The view Friday, looking down main street in Gays Mills.
The bridge over the Kickapoo River at Gays Mills barely cleared the water Friday morning.
The community of Gays Mills was once again under water, as the Kickapoo River hit major flood stage, above 18 feet, over the weekend. Flood stage there is just 13 feet. Pictured is downtown Gays Mills. (Photo by Rebecca Eby)
RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY
Train derails, house slides off bluff, fatalities, widespread
damage result from heavy rain
By Ted Pennekamp
Due to heavy rain Wednesday night, there was a train derailment and part of Highway 35 washed out just north of Ferryville. There were numerous other incidents throughout the region including a house that slid down the bluff and onto Highway 35 near Victory. A man died in that incident.
All creeks were muddy, roiling and over numerous roads in several spots throughout Crawford County early Thursday morning, said Highway Commissioner Dennis Pelock.
Pelock noted, yet Monday morning, the following roads remained closed due to water over the road or damage in need of repair:
•Hwy. 171 (Mt. Sterling to Hwy. 131 in Gays Mills)
•Hwy. 131 (Hwy. 60 to Hwy. 179 Steuben)
•Hwy. 171 (Hwy. 131 at Royal Bank to USH 61) The hill has a lower slope failure.
•Cty. C (Hwy. 35 at Ferryville to Hwy. 131 at Soldiers Grove)
•CTH B (at Rising Sun to Hwy. 131 near Gays Mills)
•CTH U (Hwy. 171 to USH 61)
Also, the towns of Freeman, Utica, Clayton and Haney had some closed roads as well, Pelock said.
“It all began at about 12:30 a.m. Thursday and our crew has been out since early in the morning,” Pelock said. “There was about two feet of water flowing over Highway 35 at Rush Creek north of Ferryville at about 4 a.m. Water was also over Highway 35 for a little while at Sugar Creek near Ferryville.”
The Sugar Creek Park was flooded near Ferryville as was the park near the Kickapoo River in Steuben. The North Crawford and Wauzeka-Steuben school districts called off classes Thursday due to road conditions. Volunteers were sandbagging Thursday in Steuben near Kountry Jo’s Bar in anticipation of the river rising even more.
“We’ve got tons of town roads and bridge abutments out. We’ve got lots of debris and damage,” said Pelock. “The list can go on and on. Some creeks have changed course and cut new channels. They aren’t even going under the bridges anymore. County C had a foot of water over it. We’ve got a lot of work to do. It’ll be a long time to clean up and put things back together.”
Crawford County declared a state of emergency Thursday morning. There were several mudslides along Highway 35 and crews removed debris. The small retaining wall between the bluffs and the highway was damaged in several spots.
Highway 35 north of County B was closed temporarily Thursday morning. Other road closures included Highway 131 at Soldiers Grove, Gays Mills and Steuben. Highway 171 at Gays Mills and east of Gays Mills was closed.
Several homes along Main Street in the Gays Mills area were evacuated due to flooding. Those residents are staying with family and friends.
At about 5:40 a.m. Thursday, a train derailed from an apparent track washout near Ferryville about 25 miles north of Prairie du Chien. The crew was not injured in the incident, but were transported to a local hospital as a precaution. Five cars and two locomotives derailed. One derailed car was an empty tank car that was carrying ethanol and another was an empty tank car carrying vegetable oil. The other derailed cars are loaded with wallboard.
Approximately 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel from a ruptured fuel tank of one locomotive leaked with some of it going into the Mississippi River. Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) responders are on site and are working with local and state officials.
“When it is safe to get on the river with the high water levels from recent rainfall, BNSF will place a boom in the river at the site of the incident and downstream to capture any diesel fuel,” said BNSF spokesperson Amy McBeth.
McBeth also noted that the tracks were out of service from the incident. Though, they reopened on Saturday.
Richland County issued a Disaster Proclamation Thursday.
The village of Yuba began sandbagging operations around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday. The Kickapoo River in Viola is on the rise and well out of its banks. Several county and town roads were closed. State Highway 56 west of County A was closed all the way to Viola due to debris and flooding. Highway 131 at Viola was also closed. So far, nine of 16 townships reported damage to roads.
No injuries have been reported.
The Kickapoo and Richland School Districts were closed Thursday due to road conditions.
A shelter is open at the Richland Center Community and Senior Center at 1050 North Orange Street.
Vernon County issued a Local Disaster Declaration Thursday morning.
A mudslide occurred around 5 a.m. on Thursday causing a home to slide onto Highway 35 south of County Highway UU near Victory. The home was destroyed. Search and rescue crews looked for possible victims inside the debris Thursday, finding Michael McDonald, 53, who was an occupant inside the home.
As a precaution, a small trailer park in De Soto has been evacuated. Approximately 15 individuals were evacuated to the De Soto Community Center.
Road closures included Highway 14 at Readstown, Highway 35 at County UU at Victory, Highway 131/56 at LaFarge, and Highway 162 at Chaseburg.
The State Emergency Operations Center remains elevated to Level 3 with Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM), Wisconsin National Guard, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
WEM Regional offices remain on scene working with county emergency management agencies.
Anywhere from 5 to 9 inches of rain fell in the Southwestern Wisconsin area this week.
According to the La Crosse Office of the National Weather Service, the Mississippi River at McGregor was at 15.7 feet at 8 a.m. Sept. 26 and is expected to crest at 17.3 feet on Sept. 29. Flood stage is 16 feet. Officials of the city of Prairie du Chien met Friday morning to discuss strategy and precautionary measures. The Kickapoo River at Steuben crested at 16.17 feet on Sept. 24 and was 13.7 feet at 8 a.m. on Sept. 26. Flood stage at Steuben is 12 feet. The Kickapoo River at Gays Mills crested at 18.1 feet on Sept. 23 and was 13.7 feet at 8 a.m. on Sept. 26. Flood stage at Gays Mills is 13 feet. The Kickapoo River at Soldiers Grove crested at 17.8 feet at 9 a.m. on Sept. 23. It was at 11.9 feet on Sept. 26. Flood stage is 13 feet at Soldiers Grove.
