MERRILL, Wis. (WJFW) — The Northwoods has received a lot of snow over the past months leading to potential flooding once it melts.
Lincoln County Emergency Management Director, Tyler Verhasselt, said that in Lincoln County there have only been 13 floods since 2006. While floods are rare, with the large amount of snow this year there’s still a risk.
“There always is especially in low-lying areas and there being a lot of bogs and swamp areas,” Verhasselt said. “So in, especially with the amount of snow that we have, the snow would be temporary.”
After the most recent weather, he explained there’s a low risk for flooding in the area because of technology at the dams.
“Flooding is not that much of an issue anymore outside of the spring weather,” Verhasselt said.
Even with the new technology, he says people should be prepared for when flooding happens. When flooding does happen, the National Weather Service (NWS) warns against swimming, or driving in the flood waters. NWS advises people get to higher ground during a flood and stay up to date with what’s going on, through social media, news or mass notification systems like in Marathon County.
“If your county or municipality has a mass notification system, be sure that you’re signed up for that,” he said, “so that if there is a dam failure like in Manawa (recently) or if there is a risk for flooding due to snow melt, they’re getting those alerts.”
Verhasselt explained that community members can also be prepared by keeping their emergency kits up to date and appropriate for the season. The kit should include medications, water and other essentials. Some governments like Marathon County have a mass notification system in place, while Lincoln County will be launching theirs in a few months.
“In Lincoln County, we have a brand-new program this year called the Mass Notification System, which we’ll be rolling out for all citizens,” he said. “So, instead of them actively having to pay attention to the news — they can, they’ll get alerts if there’s flooding that is happening.”
Move valuables from your basement if you live in a flood prone area. Verhasselt said that Lincoln County will have a mass notification system available for the community to sign up with in the next three months.
