Prairie du Chien Mayor Dave Hemmer announced Wednesday night that with the Mississippi River rising faster than expected, all vehicle and semi traffic is now closed on St. Feriole Island. The latest projections from the National Weather Service have the river reaching a level at or near 23.8 feet by Wednesday. Permits will be required for any businesses located or operating in any restricted area within Prairie du Chien and throughout Crawford County. Permits can be obtained at no cost, at Prairie du Chien City Hall between 8 AM and 4:30 PM. A slow no-wake will also be in effect in all flooded navigable waters in the City of Prairie du Chien. A list of rules regarding the permits can be found at cityofpdc.com and wqpcradio.com.
Current street closures include North Main Street to West Miller Street, the Washington Street Bridge, 4th Street and 6th Street at Saint Feriole Island, Roulette Street from Villa Louis to 4th Street, Fisher Street from Villa Luis to 4th Street, and Bolvin Street is only open from Water Street to Villa Louis Road.
The City of McGregor has been working on flood preparations for over a week. The Corps of Engineers, Clayton County Emergency Management, and the fire department are also assisting the City. Flood walls are being put in place, as are other protective measures. Through the use of an automatic sandbagger provided by the fire department, the public works department has been able to fill sandbags at a more efficient rate than has been possible before. As officials continue to monitor the situation and evaluate the resources needed, the city will put out a community notification if or when need volunteer assistance with sandbagging or anything else. The City of McGregor will also be posting flood updates at cityofmcgregoriowa.com.