Posted Thursday, July 3 --- 6:00pm

"We just thank God that we're okay."

Clip from newscast: "Breaking News tonight. Strong storms tear through south central Wisconsin."

When the storms hit on Saturday June 7th, no one could have imagined what would happen next.

More than six inches of rain in just two days would send rivers and streams to historic levels.

On Sunday June 8th, Columbus (along the Dodge/Columbia county line) was split in half by the Crawfish River. Stephen Foster has lived next to the Crawfish for 38-years and he'd never seen anything like this.

"We had one pretty high at one time but not like this. Never." said Foster.

The water was so strong -- Columbus leaders feared the bridge would actually float off its foundation. They put a fire truck on it to keep it down.

But in nearby Fall River, roads and bridges were washed away as community leaders worked to save their dam. Officials were left with no choice but to open the floodgates to relieve pressure on the dam.

Then on Monday morning, the unthinkable happened. On live TV, houses were washed away.

In front of our eyes, Lake Delton swept away into the Wisconsin River. Five homes were destroyed, along with a stretch of County Highway A.

By Monday June 9th, people started to realize the scope of this emergency. In several communities, families had no choice but to leave their homes for higher ground.

In Spring Green in Sauk County, dozens of families were evacuated as the water climbed. In fact, there are no lakes or rivers in Spring Green, just a low spot that filled with water.

Clip from Newscast: "The Spring Green Fire Department and the DNR operated six boats to ferry homeowners down this cornfield, across Highway 23, and down Prairie View Road. This is how deep the water is. Down about four and half feet. The water rose two feet in just a couple hours Sunday night... and people had to flee with what they could."

In other parts of Sauk County, the Baraboo River drove people from their homes. In Reedsburg, nearly 400 houses suffered some type of damage, whether from high water or raw sewage.

"Now, we're struggling for a place to go and everything else."

In Rock Springs, the downtown was covered in water.

Clip from newscast: "We're here on River Street in the village of Rock Spring and it actually looks more like a river than an actual street and despite the whole area being under water, fire officials are thankful everyone made it out alive."

Some of those buildings in Rock Springs may now have to be demolished.

In North Freedom, a similar story.

"When I pulled into town, I was just amazed. It's devastation. But we don't have it as bad in our home as our neighbors, and I feel really sorry for them."

And in Baraboo, families and businesses worked around the clock to ave what they could.

Clip from newscast: "One advantage Baraboo has had over other communities is advanced warning. The Circus World Museum had time to move their circus wagons out of the water's way. Other business owners just up and moved out."

In Richland County you needed a boat to travel through downtown Viola as the Kickapoo River invaded the town. The water -- eight feet deep in some parts.

"We saw toys... equipment... logs.. anything can be moved by this water... every time you see something go by, you think 'that's a piece of a person's life."

And for the second time within a year, devastation in Gays Mills in Crawford County .... as the Kickapoo River overflowed.

By Tuesday June 10th, the impact of the floods grew even larger as the DOT closed westbound I-94 near Johnson Creek. While it re-opened the next day, officials closed it again on June 12th. I-30 and 90/94 would also join the closure list.

By June 11th, FEMA inspectors arrived. Eventually, more than two dozen counties in southern Wisconsin would be declared federal disaster areas.

Then on Thursday June 12th Mother Nature pounded Wisconsin again!

In Baraboo, the water rose so quickly the "Ducks" were needed to rescue people from their homes. With so many roads washed-out, many used the Merrimac Ferry to get home.

In Grant County, four and a half inches of rain fell in just one hour, turning roads into rivers.

"There was garbage cans going down the street, mail boxes. It was a mess. There's six feet of dirt gone from our bank (in) an hour!"

And in Iowa County, dozens of families were forced into shelters when community leaders evacuated Avoca.

On Friday June 13th, another shock as people woke-up to discover the extent of the damage. At Glenville Timberwright's (near Devil's Lake) more than four feet of mud ended-up inside the shop, owned by Tom and Sue Holmes. "It defies description. I don't know how you can put words. You work your whole life to achieve a place with a business like this and overnight it's gone."

The rain only made matters worse for dams in southern Wisconsin. On Saturday June 14th, officials were worried the dam in Pardeeville would break. Fortunately, the dam held but Highway 22 was damaged.

By this point, the rivers downstream were on the rise, as well. The rivers in Rock and Jefferson Counties rose above flood stage.

People living along Charlie Bluff Road, in the Town of Milton, were told to leave. "I've lived out here 15-years and this is the highest I've ever seen it."

In Newville, people found themselves at Mother Nature's mercy. This is where Lake Koshkonong and the Rock River meet. "We never dreamt it was going to come up, so I have never thought about it you know. Because it's just never been a problem."

Sandbags also lined homes in the Town of Fulton. We're told 150-homes were flooded.

In Janesville, the Rock River was high enough to close roads and wipe out city parks.

On Monday June 16th, National Guard Troops were deployed to Jefferson County to help control traffic because so many roads were closed.

In Jefferson, the Tyson Plant was even closed to ease pressure on the city's waste water treatment plant. More than 400-homes... impacted by the flooding.

In Fort Atkinson, neighbors united to battle the high waters.

Clip from newscast: "The residents contacted local business, which donated a trailer powered by a generator, equipped with air conditioning, Internet, food and water. They use this as a meeting place while they continue sandbagging the streets waiting for the water to recede."

Flooding also damaged popular tourist attractions. Devil's Lake State Park closed for several weeks when it sustained major damage.

As the flood waters receded across Wisconsin, reality set-in.

So many homes, businesses and roads destroyed or damaged.

This report from Pardeeville.
Clip from newscast: "Across Main Street... there's no way to "drive through" the Lunch Box. It could be 4 weeks, 5 weeks, it could be 8 weeks. Rita Fenske operates the sandwich shop. I've had the place for 2 1/2 years. Last week this makeshift canal kept customers away. Today... it's gone. But a new problem has surfaced."

In Reedsburg, more than 18-homes have already been condemned by city inspectors. "This of course is the living room area and we've got 22 inches of water on this floor. You can see the water lines on the woodwork there on the paper."

And farmers in our area are dealing with the devastating loss of their crops and fields. "It is worth millions of dollars. This is crops that have been flooded out or the prevented planting. We still have damage to the crops that are out there."

Across south central Wisconsin, the flood waters finally seem to be under control. Now, residents face the difficult reality that it will be months and perhaps years before the state can fully recover from the unprecedented floods of 2008.