Historic Flood Alert: Over 10 Million Under Threat as Midwest Battles Record Rainfall, Cancels Wisconsin State Fair

Heavy rainfall continues to batter parts of Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri, prompting flash flooding in Milwaukee and forcing the cancellation of the Wisconsin State Fair’s final day. As of Monday morning, over 10 million people across the Midwest remain under flood alerts.

Milwaukee is on course to break its daily rainfall record after a rain gauge in northwest Milwaukee recorded 14.5 inches of rain on Sunday. If confirmed by the National Weather Service, this would surpass the previous record of 11.92 inches set in Mellen, northern Wisconsin, in 1946.

Milwaukee County declared a state of emergency on Sunday as the Milwaukee River crested to a record 11.19 feet, exceeding the previous high of 10.48 feet set in July 2010. Floodwaters have submerged roads, trapped vehicles, and necessitated numerous water rescues.

“This is something Milwaukee hasn’t seen in perhaps a decade or more,” said Milwaukee Mayor Chevy Johnson at a Sunday press conference, adding that his own family was affected by the flooding.

The Wisconsin State Fair was forced to close prematurely on Saturday, leading to the cancellation of a performance by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The fair’s final day was also canceled on Sunday due to flooding at the fairgrounds in West Allis, just outside Milwaukee.

USA Triathlon canceled its Sprint National Championships and Paratriathlon National Championships in Milwaukee on Sunday due to flooding and damage on the course. The flooding also affected Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, where runways, taxiways, and an underpass tunnel were submerged, according to the weather service.

A flood warning remains in effect for Milwaukee until at least 10 a.m. Monday, as streams continue to rise, according to the National Weather Service.

Southern Kansas, western Missouri, and northern Oklahoma are under a Level 3 of 4 risk of flooding rain through Monday morning, while a Level 2 of 4 risk remains in place for a vast expanse of the Midwest, including southern Wisconsin, western Illinois, eastern Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, eastern Colorado, and northern Oklahoma.

The severe weather is part of the same storm system that brought strong winds with gusts over 80 mph to Nebraska on Saturday, resulting in one fatality and a serious injury when a large cottonwood tree fell onto a vehicle.

Hundreds of inmates at the Nebraska State Penitentiary had to be relocated due to storm damage to two housing units, with no reported injuries.

On Sunday, the Milwaukee Fire Department performed approximately 65 water rescues, navigating their way around “hundreds of vehicles around the city blocking intersections, making progress absolutely impossible,” according to Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski. Assistance from a dozen fire departments from neighboring counties was enlisted due to the high volume of calls, Lipski said.

Brian Baxter, whose two teenage daughters were home alone near the Menomonee River Parkway, described feeling “helpless” as floodwaters infiltrated their family home while they awaited rescue. The girls, Brailey and Brecken, contacted their parents during the night as water levels rose, sharing a video of the flooding. They returned home but were unable to reach their daughters due to the submerged neighboring streets. Rescue crews eventually retrieved the girls and their family pet.

Heavy rain will move east into the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes through Monday, with lingering showers in Wisconsin and the central Plains. Despite lower totals than Sunday, additional rain could still lead to flooding. By midweek, much of the Midwest is expected to dry out and cool down before another round of storms develops later in the week.