BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – Recent snow melt and rain is leading to flooding and the closure of some roads in Brown County, and more precipitation could be on the way.
As the water levels rise into the spring, the annual concerns over flooding around Brown County have returned. Despite flooding already in some areas, some officials are optimistic that water levels will remain a bit tame.
“I don’t see this being so much of a runoff event, I think it’s mostly going to be around the East River,” Public Works Director Paul Fontecchio says, “Ledgeview, Bellevue, Allouez – they’re all downstream. And as we go further upstream, there’s a lot of water draining into the East River yet – it’s still rising, so it’s something that we’re monitoring.”
Stretches of Highway EA/Huron Road, Wrightstown Road, and Ledgeview Road were all closed due to high water on Tuesday afternoon. According to the Brown County Sheriff’s Office – Duck Creek is experiencing ice jams that have already flooded Pamperin Park, which is closed until further notice. There is also a significant risk of ice jams causing flooding along Duck Creek in the Village of Howard between Highway 29 and the Bay of Green Bay Tuesday evening. Residents living in that area should monitor their property and take appropriate action as needed.
For those venturing out in low-lying areas, there are a also few reminders to keep in mind.
“Once you get six, eight, twelve inches of water over a road – Number One: You’re assuming the road is there and hasn’t washed out. And Number Two: It doesn’t take much to float a car,” Fontecchio says.
Citizens who may be concerned about flooding or wondering how to navigate around washed out streets do have the ability to check current conditions online with FloodinginBC.com.
“It’s tracking all of our roads that are closed on there, pretty much in real time. There’s a lot of preparatory stuff that a citizen can still do to get ahead of events like this,” Fontecchio tells WTAQ News.
Fontecchio says it’s difficult to guess how much more runoff may be coming – or how much higher the water levels could rise. But he’s optimistic that Mother Nature might decide to cooperate this year.
“The sun is out and it’s melting what’s left out there and it’s running off. If we’re really lucky, it’ll go down to freezing, we won’t get much precipitation, and hopefully things will just melt off gradually enough that this is the worst of it,” Fontecchio says.
If you are a resident of Brown County and begin to experience an emergency related to flooding, you should contact your local municipality or 911.
