People in northern Waupaca County are evacuating due to the “imminent failure” of Big Falls Dam.
The National Weather Service Green Bay issued a Flash Flood Warning for rivers and creeks south of the dam.
The NWS says, “If you are in low lying areas below the Big Falls Dam you should move to higher ground immediately. Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.”
The Flash Flood Warning is in effect until 4:15 p.m.
As WXPR reported earlier Tuesday, some counties in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula are seeing failed culverts, flooded roads, and deteriorating pavement because of the heavy rainfall on top of recent snowmelt.
The Associated Press reports, a tornado touched down near Gilman, a village of about 380 people in northwestern Wisconsin, said Jeff Boyne, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s La Crosse, Wisconsin, office, but he said the damage was minor. The weather service was still working to determine the tornado’s rating. The storms peeled the roof off a manufactured home in Steuben, a village of about 120 people in southwestern Wisconsin, he said, but there have been no reports of any injuries in the state.
Forecasters warned of significant river and small stream flooding expected through the end of the week in the Upper Great Lakes with the heaviest rainfall expected overnight into Wednesday with scattered flash flooding.
In Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency Friday at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex as record snowfall in March and the recent rain have elevated water levels. More pumps were being added to help push water toward Lake Huron on Monday. As of 7 a.m. Tuesday, the water level was 7.68 inches (19.5 centimeters) below the top of the structure, according to a state website.
