Cassville, WI Flash Flooding of June 3-4, 2002

During the overnight and early morning hours on the 3rd and 4th, heavy rains fell across parts of northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin. Rainfall reports of 2 to 4 inches were common, with isolated amounts around 5 inches reported in the Cassville area, which is in southwest Grant County, WI.

While flash flooding hit parts of southern Fayette and Clayton counties in northeast Iowa, a fairly significant event hit the community of Cassville, WI early that morning.

Furnace Creek, that flows into the northwest side of Cassville, began flooding around 330 a.m., but after a large amount of debris blocked the flow of water at the Bluff street bridge, water starting diverting into nearby homes and a park causing significant damage.

Several blocks from Bluff Street to Highway 133 in Cassville had high water, many inches of mud, and debris that was left over from the receding water. At least 20 homes had water damage, 8 of them heavily damaged, and one home that will probably need to be destroyed since its basement fell in. The water fanned out from the bridge and returned to the creek just southwest of Highway 133.

Other nearby creeks that flow into Cassville along Highways 81 and 133 also had the same sort of damage. Many of the bridges or culverts became blocked from wood and other debris causing the water to diverge into homes, yards, and streets.

The Grant River, near Burton Wisconsin, was also surveyed and was above flood stage. Some roads were closed that normally cross over the Grant River. The river crested there between 21 and 22 feet. Flood stage is 18 feet.

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