Mudslides and flooding caused by heavy rain are making travel hard in some parts of western Wisconsin.
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Vernon County Coroner Janet Reed told the State Journal that Menne tried to get out of the cab of the pickup truck but wasn’t able to do so before the water rose nearly all the way to the top of the closed windows on the cab. The flood water eventually filled the pickup compartment.
In Vernon County, authorities say 53-year-old Michael McDonald died after his house slid onto Highway 35 and 79-year-old Joseph Menne died after attempting to drive through floodwater on a road near his home.
He was reported missing at 6:57 p.m. and pronounced dead at 9:08 p.m. His body was found about two hours later.
Another several inches of rain could fall through Thursday and a flash flood watch remains for most of the area through Thursday night.
Heavy rain, flooding and mudslides have caused widespread damage in Victory, an unincorporated community in the Town of Wheatland.
Vernon County Sheriff John Spears said the community has been devastated and torn apart by the flooding.
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As of 10:30 this morning, Hwy 108 from county road DE to county road T was closed in La Crosse county due to flooding.
