BLACK RIVER FALLS, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – In 12 hours the Black River in Black River Falls went from minor to major flood stages. It’s something that’s already being noticed in Jackson County.

Jack Workman with Jackson County Emergency Management says, “So we are definitely noticing flooding a lot in our low-lying areas and we have seen additional road closures due to flooding. There are some washouts, there are some additional culvert issues in certain areas.”

Flooding in the area is not something new. Kelly Perkins has lived in Brockway for 50 years. He says it’s something he’s seen before, “The real problem is this is a section of land over here is lowland, a lot of water, swampy and the beaver activity, I believe, is forcing the water this way instead of the way it would naturally like to drain it. It’s happened before. I think this is the second time it’s been over the road like this.”

Perkins says while he’s not too worried about the flooding. He hopes community members stay safe while traveling on affected roads, “The only real concern is somebody traveling at night and not knowing there’s water over the road, hydroplaning into the ditch or something like that.

Current models show the river is expected to crest late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. As the water continues to rise, staff with Jackson County Emergency Management say they’re monitoring the impacted areas. Workman says, “Most of my role is just information gathering and information dissemination. And beyond that, I’m really just kind of looking at where I could get resources, seeing what little bit of preplanning I can do. Right now, I’m really just waiting for any of the municipalities or local leadership to give me a notice and be like, Hey, we need help getting or doing or whatever,” while preparing for the possibility of more flooding as the water rises.

We also reached out to emergency management staff in Buffalo, Clark and Trempealeau County. Each saying they are also monitoring flood conditions in their counties.