SHIOCTON, WI (WTAQ) – Flooding in Shiocton continued Monday as the Wolf River is still spilling over.
The river was measured at 13.65 feet Monday morning by the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 13.8 feet on Tuesday.
For comparison, the moderate flood stage is at 13.5 feet, while the major flood stage is 15 feet.
The all-time record high is 14.1 feet, which was reached on April 1, 1922.
Several roads in the area had to close due to the rising water.
“Watching – that’s about all we can do,” says Shiocton’s Fire Chief Butch Bunnell. “I mean, right now, we’re to the point where it’s close to the highest I’ve ever seen it.”
Other residents in the community agreed with Bunnell’s sentiments.
“Since I’ve been a resident of Shiocton, yes, this is the highest it’s been,” says Dragonfly Paddlers owner Larry Berken. “It’s actually six inches higher these last couple of days, than it was 21 years ago when I first moved into Shiocton.”
The river hasn’t reached more than 13.5 feet since April 2, 1979, when the river reached 14.04 feet.
“For us that have lived on the river our whole lives, this is high water, and we’re gonna get it,” says Bunnell.
He knows that many residents are concerned right now, but rather he has his eyes focused on what’s to come.
“Right now, we’re just hoping that the water goes down,” he says. “What I’m concerned about is what drops north of us.”
Berken is also remaining mostly calm for the time being.
“I don’t think that people are nervous,” he says. “Some people might need [have]something to worry about but, in this case, no.”
Bunnell says that sandbags are available at the fire station to those that require help.
Additionally, residents seem confident going forward knowing that they’ll have the support of their neighbors.
“We seen a group; a family, and it looked like 15-16 people sandbagging,” says Berken.
Bunnell says people even came in from out of town on Easter Sunday to help with the sandbagging effort.
“They were sandbagging or helping us sandbag and filling bags,” he says. “The toughest part of the whole work is filling the sandbags.”
He reminds people to watch their children around water and to turn around instead of trying to drive through flooded areas.
