We’ve had a rainy week in Milwaukee, and there’s a chance of more wet weather in coming days. All the water can overwhelm the sanitary sewer system, which can cause overflows or basement backups.
So the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District has issued a Water Drop Alert, something the district does during times of large storms and heavy rains. “By using less water, you're helping reduce the amount of sewage that might end up in the environment if there is an overflow,” the MMSD says on its website.
During periods of Water Drop Alerts, the MMSD urges people to use less water until the rain passes by taking these steps:
- Hold off on washing dishes
- Doing the laundry tomorrow if there's heavy rain today
- Take a shorter shower
- Empty your rain barrel into your lawn or garden (this allows your rain barrel to absorb more rain from the storm)
You can sign up to get a text when a Water Drop Alert is issued by texting WATERDROP to 414-296-4422.
MMSD says in addition to sending text messages about the alerts, the caution to reduce water use is shared on MMSD social media and on the district’s rain gauge and facility page.
Acting as a reminder to use less water until the heavy rain passes. By using less water during a rain event, we can all help protect Lake Michigan and keep water out of our basements.
More storm coverage
Flood watch is in effect from 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 15 through Thursday, April 16 morning
The National Weather Service says areal flooding and flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible late Wednesday through Thursday morning. Here’s what that means:
(From NWS website:) An Areal Flood Warning is normally issued for flooding that develops more gradually, usually from prolonged and persistent moderate to heavy rainfall. This results in a gradual ponding or buildup of water in low-lying, flood prone areas, as well as small creeks and streams. The flooding normally occurs more than six hours after the rainfall begins, and may cover a large area. However, even though this type of flooding develops more slowly than flash flooding, it can still be a threat to life and property.
The agency says areal flooding differs from flash flooding, in that flash flooding “normally occurs within six hours of heavy or intense rainfall” which results in small creeks and streams rapidly rising out of their banks.
The flood watch has been issued for portions of east central, south central, and southeast Wisconsin, including Dodge, Jefferson, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha counties in the southeastern corner of the state.
No major impacts reported yet to Impact 211
Impact 211 says as of late Wednesday morning, it had received about 20 calls related to flooding since Tuesday. Five were related to street flooding, The rest were related to basement flooding. Some of those calls came from outside the 9-county Impact 211 region, since the agency takes calls for the state overnight. Director of Communication Vickie Boneck says Impact 211 had not been activated by emergency management to take storm damage reports. If that happens, the agency collects specific information that’s used to determine a response.
Some waterlogged streets — but also signs of infrastructure successes — in flood-prone areas
In flood damage to homes and businesses on 30th St., from W. Hampton Ave. to W. Nash St. there were reports of stranded cars in some Milwaukee neighborhoods Tuesday night as rain during flash floods was so heavy that it overwhelmed street sewers. But a flooding mitigation initiative within the 30th Street Industrial Corridor seems to be paying off. Sarah Bregant with Northwest Side CDC says the East Basin was full of water, “doing its job.” Bregant checked in with a neighbor who reports her basement was dry midday Wednesday. She lives near 30th & Roosevelt. The East Basin is one of the projects MMSD developed after severe rainstorms in 2008 and 2010 resulted in over $32 million in flood damage to homes and businesses on 30th St., from W. Hampton Ave. to W. Nash St.
Some schools see storm-related damage
Milwaukee Public Schools says there was some flooding at Marshall High School Tuesday night. Flooding at Rufus King High School required students and staff to relocate nearly a mile to the south to Andrew Douglas Middle School for the day Wednesday. Early in the day, King staff discovered smoke in the building that was caused by a "mechanical issue with an air handler in the school’s basement tunnel," according to a note sent to families by principal Doreen Badillo. The smoke was not caused by a fire in the building.
MPS expects necessary repairs at King to be complete Wednesday and that kids will return to the school on Thursday. MPS students had a pre-scheduled half day on Wednesday that was not weather-related.
Wauwatosa’s Whitman Middle School experienced flooding on its lower level due to a failed drain tile, according to the district's director of Strategic Communications Jessie Tuttle. The school district says the water mainly resulted in the need for a lot of clean up this week, but no significant damage. High winds on Monday night caused a temporary power outage at McKinley Elementary School, but Tuttle said the outage did not impact classes Tuesday.
Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office urges drivers to heed emergency lights
Flooding caused areas of the freeway to shut down for periods Tuesday night. Milwaukee County Sheriff department deputies had to block flooded lanes and clear clogged gutters.
The sheriff's office urged drivers to slow down and be cautious when they see emergency lights. In a social media post, the office said inconsiderate drivers were “flying past like it’s dry out with clear skies.”
Some Milwaukee city streets were hit with flash flooding that stranded cars. The Wisconsin Emergency Management is reminding people never to attempt to walk or drive through floodwaters, saying just 6 inches of rain can knock a person down, and 12 inches can carry away a car.
Wild weather is right on time for Wisconsin’s annual Severe Weather Awareness Week
April 13-17 is this year’s Wisconsin Severe Weather Awareness Week, and Mother Nature complied with weather that resulted in tornado warnings in southeastern Wisconsin Monday and Tuesday night. There are more showers and storms in the forecast in coming days.
In Madison Tuesday evening, storms brought hail as large as golf balls – and even baseballs in some cases – which damaged cars and buildings. Southeastern Wisconsin saw heavy rain, dramatic lightning and lengthy rumbles of thunder.
Many people did not receive tornado warnings on their phones overnight on Monday.
Wisconsin Emergency Management is urging people to enable wireless emergency alerts on cell phones, if possible. The office says to check to make sure you’ve enabled all the “Government Alerts” or “Emergency Alert Messages” options on your phones.
Among other safety tips, Wisconsin Emergency Management says residents should be prepared for potential power outages – with cell phones and power banks charged, and with flashlights and spare flashlight batteries on standby.
When there’s a threat of a tornado, the agency says the safest place in your house could be a basement, a ground floor interior room away from windows, or in a specially constructed safe room that’s designed to withstand high winds and falling debris. For apartment buildings, the state says the safest location is the lowest level, away from windows, with as many walls between you and the outside as possible.
The annual Statewide Tornado Drills are scheduled for Thursday at 1:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. If there’s a threat of severe weather Thursday, the drills will be postponed until Friday.
Wisconsin averages 23 tornadoes annually. Last year, there were 39 confirmed tornadoes, including 15 tornadoes on May 15th, when storms moved across southern Wisconsin.
