Heavy Rain Rising Rivers in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. (CIVIC MEDIA) – Storm after storm has brought the state out of a drought and into flood warnings as rivers start to crest.

Spring is mud season, usually a time to stay off of the trails and stick to the paved paths. But riverside, could get covered.

Soaked on Easter Sunday, as a low pressure lifted through the state. Bringing over 1.5″ of rain to many places, especially north. Spring showers, bring May flowers and the green up is about to start. But before we get to that, the soil is super saturated.

All of the recent rain is slowly working it’s way into the river basin, rising the levels again, especially in parts of central Wisconsin.

The Black River at Black River Falls is in a Flood Warning. It’s rushing and rising rapidly to 49 feet by midnight. But it will already of hit minor flood stage Monday evening. It won’t drop back down until overnight and into Wednesday morning. This crest will compare to the flood on April 17th in 2003.

The Yellow River in Wood county at Babcock is also forecasted to hit 13.7 feet, making a minor flood, starting around midnight Tuesday, peaking at 7 a.m. and falling into the afternoon. A Flood Warning has been issued as flood stage is 12 feet.

This will rise like it did on June 28th, 1998. Widespread flooding will happen in wooded lowland and agricultural areas nearby through Wednesday morning.

As the water rushes down towards Necedah, a minor flood expected there too, the river will hit 15 feet on Wednesday night and Thursday. By Friday morning it will begin to fall.

If you see a road covered in water, do not drive through it. Turn around. The road could be washed out underneath it, underestimating how deep it really is.

Here’s some more safety tips if caught in a flood and ways to prepare.

More rain is expected to skip across the state on Tuesday bringing an additional 0.10″ to 0.20″. Dry weather settles in for Wednesday, with more rain arriving Thursday and into Friday. Totals by the end of the week may reach an additional 0.50″ to 1.0″.