Wisconsin declares emergency in 30 counties; 4 homes swept away

(CNN) - Heavy rain flooded much of southern Wisconsin on Monday, on the heels of severe weekend storms that swept across the Midwest to the East, killing at least eight people along the way.

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle declared a state of emergency in 30 counties as swelling lakes and rivers continued to threaten hundreds of dams across the state. However, he noted no storm-related fatalities or major injuries had been reported in his state.

"The amount of damage that's been done is dramatic," he said at a news conference at Lake Delton, one of the worst areas of destruction in the state. "We have some big challenges ahead of us."

The man-made recreational lake in south-central Wisconsin swelled until it breached its banks, cutting a 400-foot-wide channel that drained into the Wisconsin River. The channel caused enough erosion to sweep four homes into the river and reduce Lake Delton to a mud pond.