Rain Causes Damage
Prairie du Chien received 3.91 inches in one hour Tuesday—between 3:35 p.m. and 4:35 p.m.—according to the National Weather Service of La Crosse. This left South Marquette Road majorly flooded, which happened because the stormwater system in that location was over capacity, Prairie du Chien Co-Public Works Manager Terry Meyer said. When the roundabouts were installed (in 2014) on North Marquette Road, the stormwater system there was improved, alleviating such problems there. The next phase of Marquette Road reconstruction, slated for 2018, from Mooney Street to LaPointe Street, will also involve improvements to the stormwater system, hopefully addressing the problem there. Once the water receded from the city’s streets, public works employees spent five extra hours monitoring other flooded areas. Meyer said the Fillmore Street inlet backed up with debris and the Campbell Coulee drainage ditch failed, turning the landscape along Cliffwood Drive into a river of flood waters. Employees also cleared debris from Jackson Street, to allow water to drain into Godden Pit, as additional rain came in the evening/overnight. For more photos in Prairie du Chien, visit pdccourier.com or like the Courier Press Newspaper on Facebook. (Photos by Correne Martin)
The cornfield at the Cliffwood Drive and County K intersection north of Prairie du Chien was a river of flood waters Wednesday morning. The cause: the Campbell Coulee drainage ditch filled with debris and failed.
Heavy rains cause county damage, mostly in PdC and Bridgeport
By Ted Pennekamp
Heavy rains Tuesday afternoon and again Tuesday night caused various problems and damage in Crawford County, mostly in the Prairie du Chien and Bridgeport areas, said Highway Commissioner Dennis Pelock.
“Prairie du Chien and Bridgeport seemed to take the brunt of it,” said Pelock Wednesday morning.
Pelock said water was running over the top of Highway 35 in a couple of spots Tuesday evening. Water was also over Mill Coulee Road, Vineyard Road, Cliffwood Drive, Sugar Loaf Trail, Bouska Road and Ward Road.
The Cliffwood Drive area was flooded on the west side of the overpass and a cornfield was flooded. Debris had plugged a temporary structure, Pelock said. Debris plugged a culvert on Sugar Loaf Trail near Walmart in the town of Bridgeport and four houses in the subdivision were surrounded by water. The forms for a new bridge on Highway 18 near Walmart got moved by water and debris, and the fill by Ward Road got washed out.
“It was quite a mess,” said Pelock.
Pelock said the highway department crew was out until about 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. The crew was out again later on Wednesday morning opening up drains, clearing debris and looking for damage. Aside from the Prairie du Chien and Bridgeport areas, Pelock said there were just minor problems in the rest of Crawford County.
According to the La Crosse Office of the National Weather Service, 3.91 inches of rain was recorded at the Prairie du Chien Airport for June 14. More rain was forecast for Wednesday, June 15.
On Wednesday morning, Crawford County Emergency Government Director Jim Hackett was out assessing damage, culverts, debris and the clean-up situation.
Hackett said so far one homeowner has reported there was water in his basement. He also noted crop damage near Limery Road and near Cliffwood Drive and some erosion near the road construction on Highway 18 in the town of Bridgeport.
“With that much rain coming that quickly, there’s going to be some damage,” said Hackett who noted that most of the damage was in the Prairie du Chien and Bridgeport area.
Hackett said there were no emergency evacuations or other emergency procedures needed.
If anyone wants to report damage, Hackett said they should call him at 326-0266 so he can report it to the state. He said it is too early to know the total cost of damage in the county.
