As the ongoing torrential rainfall in half a dozen Midwest states forced drivers to abandon their vehicles, lost power to thousands of households, and closed important roads, flash flooding forced the cancellation of the last day of the Wisconsin State Fair on Sunday.
After rains inundated the fairgrounds in West Allis, just outside of Milwaukee, the Wisconsin State Fair organizers said they were canceling the last day of the 11-day event.
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We regret that we are unable to deliver on this last day of the Wisconsin State Fair, but we are confident that, given the circumstances and the outlook, this is the right course of action, the organizers stated in a statement.
For portions of Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, and Wisconsin, the National Weather Service issued flood watches and warnings. Forecasters anticipated that Monday will see recurrent bouts of heavy rain, hail, destructive winds, and isolated tornadoes after showers started on Saturday in some places.
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According to the National Weather Service, the Milwaukee area was among the hardest affected; by Sunday, up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain had fallen in some places, causing river flooding in Waukesha and Milwaukee counties. Some drivers abandoned their immobilized vehicles on public roadways. In southeast Wisconsin, We Energies lost power to around 47,000 customers. A well-liked playground in the suburban village of Wauwatosa was flooded by the swift-moving and overflowing Menomonee River.
According to Andrew Quigley, a National Weather Service meteorologist, “it’s just a really bad overlap of circumstances in terms of how all this rain fell but then fell over such a populated area.”
According to the Milwaukee Fire Department, firefighters responded to more than 600 calls, including those involving water rescues, electrical outages, flooded basements, and gas leaks. In the meantime, surface water was cleared overnight by city workers.
Aaron Lipski, the fire chief, told reporters on Sunday that we’re still in the middle of it. Right now, we’re still catching up.
Thousands of athletes were anticipated to compete in the Sprint and Paratriathlon National Championships in Milwaukee, but USA Triathlon canceled them. Even though the parking lot was still closed to traffic, the Brewers vs. Mets game on Sunday afternoon at American Family Field was still anticipated to go ahead as planned.
The Brewers said in a statement that they would not be able to guarantee parking for all fans, including those who paid for it in advance.
Residents were cautioned by city officials not to drive or walk in the standing waters.
According to a statement from the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works, it is still dangerous.
One person was killed in eastern Nebraska on Saturday when a tree fell on a woman’s car due to severe winds. 387 inmates were forced to relocate after the storms destroyed two housing units at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln, the state capital, according to the state Department of Correctional Services. According to the agency, all employees and inmates were secure and present.
