SHIOCTON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – High water from the Wolf River is at flood stage in the Village of Shiocton.
The recent warm up has the Wolf flowing above its banks.
Shiocton Fire Chief Eugene “Butch” Bunnell tells WLUK it happens most every year, just not this early.
That sign is under several feet of water. Bunnell says ice on the part of the Wolf River in Shiocton melted about a week ago.
“This time of year, it’s not normal to have that high of water. We usually have break up about another 20 day or so. It’s early this year” Just upstream, others are dealing with a wet backyard.
“It’s getting crazy right now,” said Carmen Polanco. Polanco says the water can creep close to property in the neighborhood.
“Yeah, it goes up to their windows in the little house there. Yes, it’s pretty high. I don’t know how they do with that”
The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the Shiocton area. Bunnell says the level of the Wolf River here rose more than a foot, in the last three days.
“The firemen here in the Village, they know where to watch. Houses have all been pretty-well flood-proofed. Right now, we’re really just setting and watching. Just waiting to see what happens”
Bunnell says rain drops on the river won’t help.
“If we get a quarter of an inch, I’m not concerned. But, if we get 6-8 inches of snow, then I’m starting to watch it a little more”
Regardless of the spring-like conditions, Bunnell knows it’s still winter.
“We still can get a lot of snow. I’ve seen it snow, the 15th of April. So don’t count nothing out. I mean, what comes, comes. You can’t change it”
The Shiocton Fire Department has about 2,000 empty sand bags in case flooding becomes serious.
In Shiocton, flood stage is 12 feet.
The all-time high crest on the Wolf River in the area was 14.1 feet, on April 1, 1922.
