Portage Wisconsin

Latest News Update Update About Portage Wisconsin: Yesterday we brought you news of homes around Blackhawk Park, in Portage, Wisconsin being evacuated as there were real fears of the levee failing due to excessive rain over the last week. The access road to the area was closed off to all, including emergency vehicles and people received warning that if they did not leave emergency services would not be able to reach them if the levee failed.

The Wisconsin River was at that time around 3.5 feet above flood level and the latest news now in is that the levee has now actually failed. A representative of the Columbia County Emergency Operations Center, Patrick Beghin, confirmed this to CNN today (Monday). This means that around 100 homes in the area are in danger of flooding, according to a CNN report.

This is extremely worrying for all concerned as the Weather Agency said last night, “Once the levee completely fails … it is unknown how far south the flood waters of the Wisconsin River will travel.” It’s possible that some roads, to include sections of Interstate 39, may have to close and residents were asked to move to higher ground. It’s expected that the river flood levels will remain high through Wednesday and homes in Portage will remain under threat until the levels go down.

For more on this go to cnn.com. Are you in the area around Portage and have you been affected by the levee failure? We’d be interested to hear from you but mostly hope you and your families keep safe.
A 120-year-old levee across the Wisconsin River has failed after the heavy rains during the past 7 days which have brought around 11 inches of water. As a consequence of the failure, an estimated number of 100 homes have been affected by the flood waters.

The Portage Wisconsin levee was built in the 1890’s and unlike modern constructions, this one was made from sand. Authorities confirmed it started giving way on Sunday night.

“Once the levee completely fails … it is unknown how far south the flood waters of the Wisconsin River will travel,” the National Weather Service said last night. They also urged resident in the area to seek higher ground. We know that the Red Cross has set up a shelter on a nearby church as it is expected the Wisconsin River will stay at flood levels until Wednesday.

“This is a 120-year-old relic,” Greg Matthews, a spokesman for Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources, said about the levee. “It’s made of sand. … A modern levee that our engineers would be familiar with would be constructed of steel and concrete.” Read More.