Department of Emergency Management website:
http://readywisconsin.wi.gov/flooding/NorthernWI2016.asp
Update 7/17: Press Release, Department of Transportation:
Flooding has highways in northern Wisconsin closed. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation continues to assess roadways for damage and detour routes as necessary. Though many routes have been reopened, please use caution when traveling in impacted areas. If you see standing water turnaround. Work has begun on US 2 in Ashland County. WisDOT anticipates US 2 will be open to traffic July 18. Ashland County · US 2 is closed east of Odanah at Kakagon River and Caville Road. Traffic detoured via US 51, WIS 77, WIS 13, US 63, and US 53. · US 2 is closed at Denomie Creek near Bad River in Odanah. · WIS 13 corridor is closed between Mellen and Ashland. Use WIS 77, US 63, US 53 and US 2 as alternative route. Bayfield County US 63 is closed at Twentymile Creek near Grand View, north of Drummond. Traffic detoured via County Highway N and County Highway A. US 63 is closed near Bibon Swamp between Grand View and Mason. Burnett County · WIS 35 is closed in Riverside at South Markville Road. Traffic detoured via WIS 77 and US 53. Iron County WIS 122 closed north of US 2 to Michigan State Line. No official detour posted. WIS 169 is closed between WIS 13 and US 2. No official detour posted. Motorists are advised to drive with caution on all area roads and are reminded not to drive through standing water. For up-to-date closures and detour information visit www.511wi.gov, download the free mobile app or follow @511WI on Twitter. Update 7/15 4:00pm Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Update:
US Forest Service personnel have been busy assessing road, trail and bridge safety after the heavy rainfall this past week. More than 1,000 miles of Forest Service roads and more than 80 percent of the bridges and culverts in the storm area were impacted.
The Forest has issued a Road and Area Closure order for parts of the Great Divide and Washburn Ranger Districts. For the public's safety, the Forest reminds people that closure devices may not be in place indicating that the roads are closed.
National Forest lands, roads, trails as well as other recreation site west of Highway 13, north of Highway 77 and east of Highway 63 are closed. The closed areas also include National Forest system lands west of Highway 63 to the Delta-Drummond Road to Forest Road 397 to Forest Road 224 . Beaver Lake Campground, Namekagon Campground, and St. Peters Dome-Morgan Falls are also closed until further notice.
The Forest Service is working hard to assess the damage, make repairs to priority roads and ensure public safety. They have already opened several roads for local traffic and anticipate the number of opened roads to increase.
For a current status update and listing of roads open to local traffic visit www.fs.usda.gov/CNNF
Drivers are advised to practice defensive driving techniques, reduce their speed, drive with their lights on, and watch out for flooded roadways. The Forest Service asks that people use extreme caution if driving in the impact areas.
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DNR Update:
Most DNR northern properties were not affected by the flooding this past week. The heavy rains were localized to northwestern Wisconsin while other northern properties such as the Flambeau River, Northern Highland-American Legion and Peshtigo River state forests were not affected. These facilities will remain open.
A campground at Governor Knowles State Forest is closed for now, and as water moves down through the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers, other facilities may close as well. Sections of the Wild Rivers, Saunders and Gandy Dancer state trails are also closed.
The DNR says other state properties are open, but travel to these areas may take longer due to the multiple road closures. Those traveling to these areas should check the Wisconsin Department of Transportation www.511wi.gov website for details.
Update 7/15 12:30 p.m. Several Wisconsin highways remain closed due to flooding The Wisconsin Department of Transportation continues to assess roadways for damage and detour routes as necessary. Though many routes have been reopened, please use caution when traveling in impacted areas. If you see standing water turnaround. Ashland County · US 2 is closed east of Odanah at Lake Road. Traffic detoured via US 51, WIS 77, WIS 13, WIS 77, US 63, and US 53. · US 2 is closed at Denomie Creek near Bad River in Odanah. · WIS 13 is closed between Mellen and Ashland. Use WIS 77, US 63 and US 53 and US 2 as alternative route. Bayfield County US 63 is closed at Twentymile Creek near Grand View, north of Drummond. Traffic detoured via County Highway N and County Highway A. US 63 is closed near Bibon Swamp between Grand View and Mason. Iron County WIS 122 closed north of US 2 to Michigan State Line. No official detour posted. WIS 169 is closed between WIS 13 and US 2. No official detour posted. Sawyer County WIS 63 is closed in Hayward. A local detour is signed. Motorists are advised to drive with caution on all area roads and are reminded not to drive through standing water. For up-to-date closures and detour information visit www.511wi.gov, download the free mobile app or follow @511WI on Twitter Update 7/15: 11:00 a.m. The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Tribe has begun a relief effort after torrential rains and flooding caused severe damage in the area Monday evening. The tribal website has a flood relief fund through an Ashland area bank. A spokesperson at the Bad River Casino desk said the casino is open. A spokesperson in the tribal offices said all the tribal officials were out assessing the situation and weren't available for comment. Earlier this week, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Duluth said the Bad River was at 27 feet and rising, besting the previous high-water record of 22 feet.
Iron County now estimates ten-point-six million dollars in damage from Monday's rains and flooding in northern Wisconsin -- and that's just for tax funded facilities like the Saxon Harbor. The salvaging of four sunken boats will begin there Friday( 7/15), and the U-S Coast Guard says the main concern is pollution from the fuel and oil aboard the 85 boats damaged or destroyed at the harbor. Sawyer County reports 70-thousand in damage to 15 homes, plus 365-thousand to public infrastructure -- and officials say the Nelson Lake Dam at Hayward is not at risk of failing. Other public damage estimates include 603-thousand in Douglas County, 375-thousand in Burnett County, and 25-thousand in Chippewa County where a tornado landed at a campground Tuesday.
Diana Maas of the state D-O-T says many roads have reopened -- but it could be up to five months to fix two bridges that washed out on Highway 13 at Highbridge south of Ashland, and Highway 63 in Hayward and Highway Two remain closed. Here is the DOT press release from late Thursday(7/14) Flooding in northwest Wisconsin has several highways closed The Wisconsin Department of Transportation continues to assess roadways for damage and detour routes as necessary. Please use caution when traveling in impacted areas. If you see standing water turnaround. Ashland County · US 2 is closed east of Odanah at Lake Road. Traffic detoured via US 51, WIS 77, WIS 13, WIS 77, US 63, and US 53. · US 2 is closed at Denomie Creek near Bad River in Odanah. · WIS 13 is closed between Mellen and Ashland. Use WIS 77, US 63 and US 53 and US 2 as alternative route. Bayfield County WIS 137 at Wipperfurth Road in Ashland between Sanborn Avenue and US 2 is now open. US 63 is closed at Twentymile Creek near Grand View, north of Drummond. US 63 is closed near Bibon Swamp between Grand View and Mason. Burnett County WIS 35 north of Danbury at Riverside is now open. · WIS 77/ MN 48 border bridge west of Danbury now open. Iron County WIS 122 between US 2 and WIS 77 is now open. WIS 122 closed north of US 2 to Michigan State Line. No official detour posted. WIS 169 is closed between WIS 13 and US 2. No official detour posted. Sawyer County WIS 27 north of Hayward, off of WIS 77 near Smith Lake is now open. WIS 63 is closed in Hayward. A local detour is signed. WIS 27/ WIS 77 north of Hayward is open to traffic. Washburn County WIS 77 at Oak Tree Drive to County Road G just east of Minong is now open. WIS 77 at Old Bass Lake Road southwest of Minong is now open. US 53 between Lampson and Minong has both lanes open. Motorists are advised to drive with caution on all area roads and are reminded not to drive through standing water. For up-to-date closures and detour information visit www.511wi.gov, download the free mobile app or follow @511WI on Twitter.
Update:7/13 Wheeler News Service--- Second Death Reported In Northern Wisconsin Storms (Cable, WI) -- A second person has died from Monday's storms in far northern Wisconsin. Officials say 84-year-old Delmar Johnson of Tower Lakes, Illinois drove into a flooded ditch Tuesday as he turned to avoid a washed out section of a county road near Cable -- and Cable firefighter Paul Popelka helped saved Johnson's wife who escaped injury. Mitchell Koski, a former mayor of Montreal, Wisconsin, also died in a storm related incident in Iron County that's still being investigated. Bayfield County officials also say a sheriff's deputy is hospitalized in good condition after his vehicle drove into a washed out roadway Tuesday and was carried downstream in a current -- and the unnamed officer jumped out and clung to a tree for two hours before he could be rescued.
7/13 Wheeler News >>Flooding Forecast For Three Northwest Wisconsin Rivers (Undated) -- Three rivers in northwest Wisconsin have flood warnings and advisories in the wake of Monday's night massive rains. The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning until 10:45 tonight (Wednesday) for Burnett County, as the Saint Croix River is reported to be over its banks and it's expected to crest late tonight (Wednesday) at both Danbury and Grantsburg. Flood advisories are out for the Bad River in northern Ashland County and the Nemadji River near Superior in Douglas County. Both have already crested. In Hayward, Wisconsin Emergency Management says sandbagging continues as Silver Creek kept rising today (Wednesday), downtown Hayward was flooded, and ten homes were threatened. Numerous roads remain closed today (Wednesday), including Highways Two and 13 in the Ashland area -- and damage assessments are being made in all eight counties where Governor Scott Walker has imposed a state of emergency.
It might be awhile before parts of northwestern Wisconsin get back to normal after heavy rains caused main roads to be washed out.
The National Weather Service in Duluth says Saxon in Iron county had the highest rain total from Monday's storms, more than 9 inches of rain.
Iron County Highway Commissioner Mike Swartz says a main artery in the Northwoods has been washed out....
"....right now we're in the process of detouring U.S. 2, that's a main artery for Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. We do have some other state roads that are impassible. We're trying to open up some town roads so we can get access for these people to have a way in and out...."
The state's road website at wi 511 also reports Wisconsin 122 near Saxon and Highway 169 in Iron county are also closed. Swartz says it might be awhile before some of the affected roads are back in service. He says inspectors are looking at bridges to see how stable they are in affected areas.
National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Stewart says the Bad River at Odanah was at 27 feet, five feet above the record crest level of 22 feet and is forecast to rise another two feet from runoff. H says rain totals included five inches at the Ashland airport, 7 inches in Bayfield, and Minong with 6.5 inches and Saxon with 9 inches. Stewart says this is the worst flooding in the region in recent memory.
