FORT ATKINSON, Wis -- One year after the flood waters, life is pretty much back to normal in the city of Fort Atkinson.

Last June, an entire neighborhood was literally underwater. Recovery wasn't an easy feat considering what residents had surrounding them: the swelling Rock and Bark rivers.

The area hit hardest is where the two rivers intersect, which is where Joe Hitt lives.

Back then, Hitt called his house an "island paradise." It was surrounded by floodwaters, but Hitt keeps a sense of humor about the situation he and his family have gone through in the last year.

"We were holding back probably three feet of water all the way around (the house)," Hitt said. "We were fishing off the front porches of our homes!"

Downtown Fort Atkinson was also hit hard. The stains on the Main Street bridge remind everyone of how serious the flooding was.

"We had parks that were flooded, streets that were flooded, homes that were surrounded or flooded," Public Works Director Jeff Woods said. "We had a couple businesses downtown that were flooded also. It was not the kind of year that you wanted to have."

A year of cleanup has made a huge difference, and FEMA helped pick up most of the city's tab. Residents like Hitt, though, footed the bill themselves.

"It was an experience," Hitt said. "Nothing that you want to experience again."

That said, every resident is still here. And so are the memories -- which will likely last a lifetime.

"The impact was huge for us, and life goes on," Hitt said.

There was already a flood scare in Fort Atkinson this year. A major snow melt in February and March had the Rock River rising very quickly, and a road in Hitt's neighborhood was closed twice because of high water. Luckily no homes were affected and the hope is that last year's 500 year flood truly is another 500 years away.