UPDATE (WKOW) -- Residents in this village of just under 2,500 that straddles Dane and Green County ardently filled sandbags in trying to protect their property from the swelling Sugar River Tuesday night.
Terry Kringle, the public information officer for the village, confirmed to Channel 27 News that the river has overflowed over its banks and the dam. At this point he believes the dam is just overflowing, it has not been damaged or breached.
He also says the bridge over Highway 69 has been closed and some nine families were evacuated from the east side of town. Most of those residents found family or friends to stay with, but one family has been housed by the Red Cross overnight.
Kringle said the north part of their area is still accessible, but you can only get to the southern part by coming down from Paoli on County Road PB, then turning east.
Volunteers and residents came out to help fill and place sandbags. Kringle says material for those is available across from the fire department in town, at the corner of Main and Park Streets in Belleville.
Kringle said he's hoping to apply for aid through FEMA to help with the damages to public property but at this point it's too soon to know what the potential cost may be.
He said the Sugar River appeared to crest in Belleville Wednesday afternoon with water beginning to recede.
For more on this story: http://www.wkow.com/story/38933026/2018/08/21/flooding-in-belleville-closes-highway-92