MADISON, Wis. — Searchers on Tuesday recovered the body of a man who was wrenched away from would-be rescuers during flash flooding that forced evacuations around Wisconsin’s capital city and cut power to many homes.
More than 11 inches of rain fell overnight in places in or around Madison, according to the National Weather Service. The worst of the weather seemed to have passed by midday Tuesday, with the forecast calling for dry conditions Tuesday night and sunshine on Wednesday and Thursday.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on Tuesday evening declared a state of emergency in flood-stricken Dane County, saying the state is ready to assist in recovery efforts.
“I have no doubt the resiliency of Wisconsin communities will be on display during this response,” Walker said in a statement. The governor plans to tour the flood damage on Wednesday.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan sent a letter Tuesday to President Donald Trump, asking him to provide federal assistance for flood recovery efforts if Walker seeks a federal disaster declaration.
“We’ve obviously had a very dangerous and unprecedented situation,” Mayor Paul Soglin said at a news conference. “We’ve seen snow storms. We’ve seen ice storms. We’ve seen tornadoes. Obviously we’ve never seen a rain like this.”
The man who died was in his 70s, police spokesman Joel DeSpain said in a statement. The man was driving a car with two passengers near a Madison park on Monday when it stalled in flood waters and was swept into a drainage ditch. The car came to rest nose down and quickly filled with water.
The Capital Times reported that Madison Alderman Matt Phair and his wife were out biking during a lull in the storm and saw the car in the ditch.
Phair told the newspaper they waded up to the car in water that was 3 or 4 feet deep, and he pulled out the two passengers, who were described by police as a man in his 70s and a woman in her 50s.
The male passenger made it to solid ground but the woman slipped under. Phair said he and his wife saved her by grabbing her hair.
A third man joined in to help. The driver made it out of the car but the rescuers couldn’t hold on to him in the rushing water and he was sucked under the car.
