Nearly 200,000 people on Monday remained under flood warnings in the aftermath of torrential rainfall that dropped more than a foot on Milwaukee and its environs, prompting officials to issue a state of emergency over the weekend and caution motorists against traveling.
Why It Matters
The heavy rains in Wisconsin come as meteorologists have warned that climate change has contributed to the prevalence of 100-year and 1,000-year floods across the U.S. in recent years. As the atmosphere warms, it gains the ability to hold more moisture, which in turn can fuel heavy rains when storms roll into the area.
The floods in Wisconsin caused officials to cancel the last day of the Wisconsin State Fair. On Sunday, Milwaukee County declared a state of emergency and cautioned residents against driving or walking through flooded areas.
What To Know
As of Monday afternoon, numerous rivers were still flooding, according to warnings issued across the Badger State by National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists.
These include the following rivers:
- Root River at Franklin, affecting Milwaukee County.
- Fox River Lower at Waukesha, affecting Waukesha County.
- Milwaukee River near Cedarburg, affecting Ozaukee County.
- Cedar Creek at Cedarburg, affecting Ozaukee County.
- Menomonee River at Menomonee Falls, affecting Waukesha County.
None of the rivers had reached major flood levels, though the Fox River Lower at Waukesha was experiencing moderate flooding. The others saw minor issues…