MADISON, Wis. -- It seems every time we've had a rainstorm these past few weeks main streets and intersections in Madison have flooded. We may think that's directly from rainfall but city engineers say high lake levels are stressing out the infrastructure.
"It's been a pretty big problem for us this summer," Principal Stormwater Engineer Janet Schmidt said. "You know, maybe every five, ten years we see something pretty big like this,"
On Thursday lake levels on Lake Monona were 847.09 feet above sea level, almost two feet above the summer maximum set by the Dane County Land & Water Resources Department, 845.20. Lake Mendota Thursday was more than a foot higher than the summer maximum.
Both lake's levels are creeping closer to their respective 1% , or 100-Year-Flood levels, which the County saw in 2018.
"We went into the summer, this is feeling pretty similar where we're getting a lot of rain like levels are high," Schmidt said. "And then we just had an incredible storm that just, you know put us over the edge."
The National Weather Service in Milwaukee has already issued 15 Flash Flood Warnings so far this year. The most in history was 52 back in 2008.
Especially during the latest round of storms on July 14th, residents submitted Weather Photos to Channel3000.com or posted pictures on social media of intersections like Aberg Ave. and Huxley St., 1st and E. Johnson, and more underwater.
"Really, there's not a whole lot you can can do because there's there's no place for the water to go," Schmidt said.
No place to go but the streets, sidewalks, and properties.
"There's been a lot of stalled cars it's getting pretty close to flooding out some buildings, and I'm sure there's been buildings that have actually flooded out," Schmidt said.
You can find information on Flooding, and measures you can take to prevent it and recover from it on the City website.
"Grading your landscaping away for your home, making sure your gutters are in good repair," Schmidt said of measures you can take for your house.
"So some of the things that we hope folks will take away from this is, you know, if you understand the area's flooding, don't don't drive through it, you know, don't park your car in those areas, too," she said.
Because she said when the drains and infrastructure are overwhelmed there's nothing anyone can do but wait.
"Until the water levels really recede, then I think we're going to still see some of these issues when we get these rainstorms," Schmidt said.
The City of Madison offers free sand and ready-to-fill bags at the following locations from mid-April to late October:
- Engineering Service Building: 1600 Emil Street
- Olbrich Park Secondary Boat Launch Parking Lot: 3402 Atwood Avenue
- Olin Park Parking Lot: 1156 Olin-Turville Court
- Spring Harbor Park Parking Lot: 5417 Lake Mendota Drive
- Tenney Park Beach Parking Lot: 1254 Sherman Avenue
- Thut Park: 2630 Nana Way
- Warner Park Beach Parking Lot: 1101 Woodward Drive
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