MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WTAQ) - Milwaukee and Madison broke new rainfall records, as thunderstorms caused heavy floods throughout southern Wisconsin last night. A massive sink hole up to 20 feet deep swallowed a Cadillac Escalade SUV at a corner near downtown Milwaukee. Its driver was rescued and sent to a hospital.
Two sisters were hit by lightning on Milwaukee’s south side while returning home from dinner. They were taken to a hospital, but their conditions were not immediately released. Parts of Milwaukee had seven and a half inches of rain in two hours.
Officially, the National Weather Service recorded five-point-six inches. That broke a daily record for a single rainfall set in 1948. Madison had three-point-six inches, breaking a 125 year old mark. Milwaukee firefighters said they rescued 50 people trapped in homes and vehicles during the massive flooding. Countless cars were stuck in the water.
We Energies said 32 thousand customers lost power at the height of the storm in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, and Jefferson counties. And lightning blew out a transformer in Mukwonago. There’s a chance for more rain today in the Milwaukee area and throughout Wisconsin. It will be muggy, with highs of up to 90 in the south. And Milwaukeeans won’t be able to cool off at Lake Michigan. The city’s beaches are closed through Sunday because of the potential for flood contamination.
