Wisconsin flash flooding situations stabilize, officials urge residents to stay cautious

MANAWA, Wis. (WLUK) — Officials in Wisconsin are optimistic now that Friday's flash flooding situations have stabilized.

Manawa received over 4 inches of rain, Police Chief Jason Severson said in a late afternoon news conference. Some residents were evacuated midday after significant erosion alongside the Manawa Dam led to the draining of the Manawa mill pond across Bridge Street.

This caused incidents of flash flooding and all entrances to the city were blocked as a result.

As a consequence of a lot of erosion around the bridge, we ended up having to get a lot of people, emergency and first responders, into the area to help evacuate. First it was motorists, and then, as the erosion was getting worse, we had to start evacuating some of the homes," Severson said.

Around 5 p.m. Friday, residents were cleared to return to their homes. Residents of the Manawa Community Living Center are being evacuated to King's Veteran's Home until further notice.

Severson said an inspector from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation assessed the bridge and deemed it safe for travel. Highway 22 will be opened once debris is cleared.

In a news release, city officials said, "The structural integrity of the dam itself remains intact, and there is no immediate danger of collapse. However, due to the substantial erosion, it is anticipated that the mill pond will continue to drain until the situation stabilizes."

"What we want to make sure is people don't drive through these flooded areas," added Waupaca County Sheriff Tim Walz. "Waupaca County right now, and the surrounding roadways of Manawa, are suffering from possible erosion. So as soon as the water clears, the road department will get out there, county highway, and assess the roads. We'll reopened them as we see fit."

"We think the worst of it is over, so now we're just going to start assessing things and seeing where we go from here," Severson said.

The Mid-Western Rodeo in Manawa is also canceled due to flooding.

As for Appleton, officials say the city received more than 2.5 inches of rain, resulting in localized flooding and impassable roads.

At one point, the Appleton Police Department sent out an emergency alert asking residents to stay home and off the roads. Once water levels began to recede, that advisory was lifted.

"Serious flooding and property damage appears to have occurred in localized areas of the City," reads a news release. "At present there is not an ongoing general concern of flooding."

Appleton is working with Outagamie County Emergency Management, the American Red Cross and Outagamie County CERT on recovery efforts.

Residents impacted by flooding who are in need of information on resources are encouraged to call 211.