Tuesday, June 10, 2008

LAKE DELTON, Wis. - It's not just homes that were destroyed in Wisconsin's flash floods yesterday. The water washed away a big chunk of the local tourism industry, too.

Bill Pettit owns a 30-unit resort on man-made Lake Delton and says he's "out of business" because what he sells is the lakefront and "the lake is gone."

The 245-acre lake overflowed and washed out a highway embankment, forcing a new channel to the Wisconsin River and taking out five homes. Luckily, no one was hurt.

Engineers will be at the lake today to determine what's needed to begin repairs.

Also in Wisconsin, the swollen Kickapoo River has engulfed nearly the entire village of Gays Mills, forcing about 150 people to evacuate. It's the second flood in the town in 10 months.

In Indiana, National Guard troops, Marines and sailors have been sandbagging a levee along the White River at Elnora, 100 miles southwest of Indianapolis. The river is expected to crest today, 16 feet above floodstage.

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