Massive damage from rains, flooding

State of emergency declared in several counties

It’s now a deadly day of flooded roads and mudslides in southwestern Wisconsin. 

A homeowner has died when his home slid into highway 35 this morning just south of Victory.  Crews have worked through the day to clear the scene while 35 has remained closed.

Dozens of other roads were reported closed in both Vernon and Crawford counties in Wisconsin due to heavy rains and flooding. 

Vernon county sheriff John Spears says, at one point, there were 89 roads closed in his county.  He hoped to have maybe three dozen of them open by tonight. 

In Crawford county, it’s become nearly impossible to drive just about anywhere for any length of time because of washouts, mudslides and other issues that have closed roads. 

In the tiny community of Gays Mills, where residents have become all too used to dealing with massive flooding, Terry Halverson, owner of Halver’s Town Tap says the water rose too quickly to try and sandbag.

“What gets under water will have to get under water, I guess,” said Halverson. 

Emergency crews spent much of the day dealing with a train derailment north of Ferryville.  Two engines and five cars of a BNSF train derailed because of some washed out tracks. 

About a thousand gallons of diesel out of a ruptured locomotive fuel tank spilled into the Mississippi.  

Jackson, Vernon, Crawford and Clark are just some of the counties that have declared a state of emergency due to the rains and flooding.