Floodwaters erode area around Wisconsin dam, force evacuations

A dam in a southeastern Wisconsin community was breached Friday and people living downriver were evacuated, the National Weather Service and Manawa city officials said.

The dam in Manawa along the Little Wolf River was breached at about 1:45 p.m. by floodwaters, said weather service meteorologist Scott Cultice.

The city of Manawa said in a Facebook post on Friday afternoon that "first responders noticed land near the dam eroding, so evacuation downriver began."  

"We started getting reports of things flowing down the road and the road being unpassable," Manawa Police Chief Jason Severson said in a Friday evening news briefing.

Severson estimated that a 50-foot area eroded around the dam, but the dam itself did not fail.

"It's still an active situation, we think the worst of it is over," Severson said.

Severson disclosed that crews were able to "get on the dam and start to open it up to relieve some of that pressure."

The city's wastewater treatment plant sustained flooding, Manawa Public Works director Josh Smith said. The city was also under a boil water advisory due to the flooding. 

"We are implementing a boil water order until we can get a safe sample," Smith said.

Manawa Mayor Mike Frazier said there were no reports of injuries. A Friday night rodeo and Saturday parade have been canceled, Frazier said.  

At the height of the emergency, several nursing homes were evacuated as well. Those who couldn't evacuate were told to shelter in place. It's unclear exactly how many residents were evacuated. 

The rains started about 8:30 a.m. Friday and about 5 inches fell in a few hours. A flash flood warning was issued for Manawa and other parts of Waupaca County.

"It just wouldn't stop raining in and around the Manawa area," Cultice said. "They had water rescues. Most of the downtown roads were flooded."

"We just can't get rid of the rain," he added. "It's just not moving, just stalling."

Emergency shelters were set up in a high school and a masonic center.

"Due to the amount of water the dam isn't safe," the Manawa Police Department said in an earlier post to Facebook.

All entrances to Manawa, about 55 miles west of Green Bay, were blocked, the city said on its Facebook page. 

"Please do not try to drive into the city or around the city," the post read. "Vehicles are being flooded on the roads around the city. Union Street is flooded. N. Bridge Street is flooded. Beech Street is washed away. Howard Street is flooded. Industrial Drive is flooded."

"Because of the amount of rain we are receiving...there will be flooding in the streets and yards," the post continued. "It is everywhere in the city."

The weather service warns that the rain, and possibly thunderstorms, could occur through the weekend and into early next week.

In:
• Wisconsin
• Flooding