Communities proactively prepare for high water, challenging spring ahead
The view south of Washington Street in Prairie du Chien Friday was a familiar one to many low-lying and open areas across the county. A lake of standing snowmelt sits between Michigan Street and the Burlington Northern railroad tracks. (Photo by Correne Martin)
By Correne Martin and Audrey Posten
The combination of snowmelt and rainfall is causing flooding along the Mississippi and Kickapoo Rivers. The typical high water communities in southwest Wisconsin and northeast Iowa are on alert and proactively preparing for a projected 17.7-foot crest of the Mississippi, at McGregor, starting early Thursday, March 21. The Kickapoo crested Saturday morning more than 2 feet above flood stage, at 15.54 feet, in Gays Mills.
“We’ve seen, so far this week, warming temperatures and rain across Iowa, southern Minnesota and southern Wisconsin. A lot of snow has begun to run off into streams and rivers, and some of that is getting into the Mississippi,” said Jeff Makowski, a meteorologist at the La Crosse National Weather Service office.
The NWS has also reported excessive runoff on country roads, farmland and many low-lying locations. They are warning travelers to use caution on roadways in these conditions, as river banks and culverts can become unstable, and mudslides are more likely to occur.
One emergent call to action for Prairie du Chien public works personnel had the street department pumping all day March 14 with two pumps, as a precautionary measure to mitigate bluff runoff on the city’s northeast end.
“The retention pond by Bennett Hardwoods was full. We were trying to keep [the water] out of people’s basements,” street superintendent Dan Titlbach said. “We finally pulled the pumps after 10 to 12 hours.”
Titlbach shared that the water department measured frost depth last week at 51 inches yet. He also explained that warming daytime and colder nighttime temperatures over the weekend and early this week will help ease the frost but slow the rate of snowmelt.
Crawford County Emergency Management has partnered with Prairie Sand and Gravel and the Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution (PDCCI) for sandbagging operations. Sandbags are available upon request and orders will be given to the prison every morning at 9 a.m., according to Director of Emergency Management Jim Hackett. In emergency situations, orders will be put into the prison throughout the day. To request sandbags, call emergency management at 326-0266 (leave a message and a return phone call will be made to confirm orders).
“Prairie Sand and Gravel donates the sand and hauls it for free every year,” Hackett acknowledged.
PDCCI officers indicated the prison has 20,000 sandbags sitting in storage, ready to be filled.
At a planning meeting March 14, Prairie du Chien Fire Chief Jeff Boughton said his volunteer firefighters are available to help fill sandbags if the need arises. Hackett added that the Bridgeport and Rural Prairie du Chien Fire Department is available to help around the city as a back up. City and county emergency management officials also coordinate with the Prairie du Chien School District when necessary to bring in student athlete teams for sandbag filling.
“The city has a plan we’ve followed to a T for 20 years, as far as what steps we take at what river level,” City Administrator Chad Abram noted. “We will monitor the river situation daily and through the weekends.”
More troubling projections for high water probabilities in April have area communities feeling uneasy already too.
“We are so used to this, but there’s a 90 percent chance (for the Mississippi) to get to 21.5 feet April 15, according to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) projections,” stated Villa Louis administrator Susan Caya-Slusser, director of the Wisconsin Historical Society Southwest Sites. “That would mean us boating in (to work at the Villa Louis) for at least four days.”
Certainly, river levels will fluctuate between now and then, but Makowski, the NWS meteorologist, cautioned, “There’s still a lot more snow and ice pack to melt farther north that’s not getting into the river quite as fast.” He wants the public to understand that, yes, the river is rising right now, “but not necessarily to the full extent or potential rise.”
The cities of Marquette and McGregor are working together and readying themselves should water reach over the moderate flood level of 19 feet in McGregor.
“We’re already pulling 2011 reports,” when the Mississippi reached 21.32 feet, explained Marquette Mayor Steve Weipert. “We have a good foot-by-foot operations manual.”
“The flood outlook doesn’t look good,” he said, “but we’re hoping for the best. All we can hope is that the snow melts slow.”
Weipert said it helps having dealt with flooding before. “That calms your nerves,” he said. “You know you can handle a certain amount of water.”
With March 18-22 being Flood Safety Awareness Week, Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) also issued a bulletin Friday reminding state residents to take steps for safety.
“Wisconsin has seen a great deal of precipitation this winter, and now we’re seeing widespread flooding as it all melts. While it’s important for all of us to be prepared for flooding, it’s critical that people who live along water bodies and in low lying areas to protect themselves against flooding,” said Dr. Jon Meiman, a DHS Chief Medical Officer.
DHS encourages such residents to prepare for high water by: stocking emergency supplies, moving electronics and valuables off the floor, and considering adding flood insurance to standard policies.
All things considered, the communities can be prepared but still have to take a wait-and-see approach.
Titlbach summarized this year’s flood prep measures and forecasts well: “It’s going to be a challenging spring.”
