Residents living along Wisconsin’s Little Wolf River are now allowed to return home after being evacuated due to heavy floods that breached the Manawa Dam on Friday, according to local authorities.
Manawa Police Chief Jason Severson said on Facebook late Friday that the flood situation at the Manawa Dam has “stabilized,” though he advised people to avoid standing water as there may be erosion underneath.
The rains started around 8:30 a.m. on Friday and about 5 inches fell in a few hours. A flash flood warning was issued for Manawa and other parts of Waupaca County.
The City of Manawa earlier said that the dam was “compromised and has major damage,” urging residents living downstream to evacuate immediately. The city also warned people against traveling on the roads.
“Vehicles are being flooded on the roads around the city,” the city stated. “Union Street is flooded. N. Bridge Street is flooded. Beech Street is washed away. Howard Street is flooded. Industrial Drive is flooded.”
“Fire Department and Police Department and City Crew is out. Because of the amount of rain we are receiving that there will be flooding in the streets and yards. It is everywhere in the city,” it added.
The city stated that all entrances to the city of Manawa, about 55 miles west of Green Bay, have been blocked. Emergency shelters have been set up in a high school and a masonic center.
The Manawa Police Department said that it received reports of motorists being stranded and started evacuating people living downstream after first responders noticed the land around the dam was eroding.
“We started getting reports of things flowing down the road and the road being unpassable,” Mr. Severson said at a press conference on Friday.
It remains unclear how many people were evacuated. The town has a population of about 1,200.
Mr. Severson estimated that a 50-foot-wide area around the dam had eroded. “It looks like the dam is intact, but there is quite a bit of erosion on the north side,” he said.
“This is still an active situation. We think the worst of it is over, so now we’re going to start assessing things and see where we go from here,” the police chief added.
Public health officials on Friday declared a boil water advisory for Manawa and the surrounding areas, indicating that the water is unsafe for drinking due to contaminants. Residents are advised to boil tap water before drinking it.
“This advisory has been issued because of severe flooding in the area. We are recommending this course of action as a precautionary measure until some water testing can be done to ensure it is safe to consume,” the city stated.
