Heavy rains cause Midwest flooding; up to 6.5 inches

Heavy rain near the borders of Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin pushed creeks and rivers out of their banks Tuesday, forcing evacuations and trapping people at a campground.

Gov. Tom Vilsack declared seven eastern Iowa counties disaster areas. In Dubuque County, Sheriff's Capt. Don Vrotsos said 5 inches of rain fell overnight.

Residents of a trailer park on the north edge of Dubuque were evacuated after the Little Maquoketa River crept out of its banks. Dubuque officials called off classes on the last day of school due to flooding.

In the small towns of Dyersville and Cascade, sandbagging began as small tributaries overflowed their banks. Dyersville Police Chief Martin Botts said a portion of the town of 4,035 people was under water.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources also said 10 cities in northeast Iowa were forced to bypass their wastewater treatment plants to prevent sewage from flooding basements.

In Illinois, more than 6.58 inches of rain fell in Morrison, according to the National Weather Service.

"We're dealing with it as it happens," said Joellen Schroeder, communications supervisor for the Whiteside County Sheriff's Department.