Flooding continues to worsen in Wisconsin

[hornblast]

About 28 miles of Highway 106 are currently closed from State Highway 73 to County E (Jefferson). It wasn't closed this morning, suggesting the flooding continues. Indeed, the National Weather Service's Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service shows major flooding along the Rock River. (http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ahps2/forecasts.php?wfo=mkx&view=1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1&toggles=10,7,8,2,9,15,6)

The Journal Sentinel has pictures of downtown Pewaukee flooding and quotes a 92-year-old resident of the Pewaukee as saying that "she had never flooding so severe." Another story describes carp (the fish) swimming down Wisconsin Avenue in Pewaukee in the floodwater from Pewaukee Lake, which overflowed in the rain. Scarily, the lake apparently has not crested yet. (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=760876>)

Similarly, the Rock River is not expected to fully reach its peak level in some places until Wednesday. Consult these NWS charts. (http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ahps2/forecasts.php?wfo=mkx&view=1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1&toggles=10,7,8,2,9,15,6) The river has apparently peaked in Watertown, but the villages of Newville and Afton to the south have yet to see the worst. I'm not a meteorologist, but I think I'm reading this right. I certainly hope I'm proven wrong on this stuff. This is terrible for everyone.

Rural areas off I-43 are badly flooded, too. On a trip down to Beloit today, I saw:

- A small valley with two billboards in it. Both valleys are filled with water, which is up to the bottoms of the billboards.

- Water about a foot below I-43.

- The large quarry in Walworth County that is now a small lake or a large pond. Take your pick.

- And a farm field that resembled a field of mud more than anything.

If I happen to go that way again tomorrow, I'll definitely bring my camera.

(This is a conglomeration of posts to my blog, <http://haas414.wordpress.com>).

[PeaceNikki]

1. Some Pewaukee Lake pics from today.

It's not pretty there. Downtown Pewaukee is hurting bad and will be for a while. Here are a few pics I snapped. I couldn't get real close but the whole downtown is under. This is on the outer area where it's nowhere as deep as closer to lake. The National Guard was there:







By boat launch in Delafield on Pewaukee Lake (across from Nagawicka Golf Course):

[dembotoz]

2. its a mess

did anyone have trouble getting back from convention?

[hornblast]

3. pics from I-43 are now up

Just eight of the 200+ pics I took today. Some weren't good, but I'd rather stay on the road than get a perfect shot.

http://haas414.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/flood-damage-visible-from-i-43-in-southern-wisconsin/