At least one person is dead, after a home was swept down a hillside in Vernon County.
Tod Pritchard with Wisconsin Emergency Management says a body was recovered Thursday from a home that had been carried on to Highway 35, near Victory in southwestern Wisconsin. The area is one of many in the state experiencing flooding and mudslides brought on by heavy rainfall.
The Vernon County Sheriff’s Department identified the victim as 53-year-old Michael McDonald. According to a release from the department, McDonald is believed to have been inside the home when it went down the hill just before five on Thursday morning. His body was found just after one Thursday afternoon.
Wet weather is causing widespread problems across western Wisconsin, in nearly a dozen counties stretching from Chippewa to Crawford counties. Numerous roads have been closed due to flooding, while several rivers and streams are spilling over their banks. Pritchard says much of the soil is already heavily saturated, and the situation is unlikely to improve soon with more rain in the forecast.
