Saturday was spent cleaning up from Friday's flooding throughout Southwest Wisconsin.
The American Red Cross set up a shelter for Cassville flood victims at Cassville High School. Five people are staying at the shelter, according to Grant County Emergency Management.
A resident assistance center will be open at the Cassville Village Hall Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Red Cross representatives and representatives from the Grant County Aging and Disability Resource Center, Health Department and Emergency Management will be on hand for families with immediate needs or who sustained significant damage.
Two homes, one that housed several families, and two seasonal homes on West Bluff Street in Cassville were destroyed in the flooding. Ten homes on West Bluff and Dewey Street sustained significant damages. Other rural homes have damage and washed out or inaccessible driveways.
Wisconsin 81 from Beetown to Cassville remains closed. Numerous town roads are also closed, with additional washed-out culverts and significant debris accumulation.
A flood warning remains in effect for Grant and Lafayette counties until 9:45 a.m. Sunday.
Rainfall amounts reported by the National Weather Service include 7.2 inches northwest of Burton, 3.6 inches west of Platteville, 3 inches (in 90 minutes) in Glen Haven, 2.11 inches at the Platteville Municipal Airport,
The Grant River at Burton crested Saturday morning at a record 26.45 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
Elsewhere, water was not as high as Friday night, but evidence of where high water had been could be seen throughout the Potosi area — mud on Wisconsin 133 from near the Potosi Brewery south toward Potosi Station, large tree branches and stumps, and tall grasses pointing toward where the water went. Highway crews were removing debris from culverts.
The Platte River between Potosi and Dickeyville covered the river bottom at a level not seen since 1993. There was also flooding of fields along Hill Climb Road near U.S. 151 from McAdam Branch.
Residents with home damage are asked to call Grant County Emergency Management, 723-7171, to report damage.
In Lafayette County, the Wisconsin 23 bridge in Darlington is closed, along with a number of other roads, many in the New Diggings area, which received up to 9 inches of rain according to reports:
• Kennedy Road at Bull Branch.
• Shawnee Road at Kelsey Branch.
• Lafayette County I south of New Diggings near the Wisconsin–Illinois state line.
• Lafayette County W west of New Diggings.
• Buncombe Road near Beebe Road.
Flood warnings are in effect for the Pecatonica River at Darlington, the east branch of the Pecatonica River at Blanchardville. McKellar Park in Blanchardville is completely flooded, including the swimming pool and the tennis courts, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has an early projection of possible severe weather Wednesday.
Updates will be posted on www.swnews4u.com. Read Southwest Wisconsin Newspapers for more this week.
