While much of southern Wisconsin remains parched due to a prolonged dry spell, parts of northern Wisconsin are getting too much rain. Keith Kesler is Director of Douglas County Emergency Management in Superior, where at least six inches of rain has flooded city streets and state and county highways. “We’re not getting a lot of reports of people in significant peril,” Kesler says. “We’ve had some people trapped in cars with high water. We’re really trying to stress that “turn around, don’t drown” motto.
AUDIO: Keith Kesler (2:30)
Kesler says the county’s 911 center has been inundated with calls. “We have basement flooding going on, a lot of streets that are just impassable because of deep water,” he says. “We’ve probably had something in the seven to eight inches amount of rain, depending who you listen to. One station this morning said 6.7 inches. We’ve had unofficial reports of ten plus.”
In neighboring Duluth, officials with the Lake Superior Zoo say numerous animals are missing and presumed drowned as a result of the flash flooding. A flash flood warning remains in effect until 4:30 today for the Twin Ports and surrounding area.
