Days of Rain Lead to Flooding, Road Closures, Sewage Dumping

Flood watches and warnings are in effect throughout Southeastern Wisconsin, some lasting until Friday. Officials are keeping watch on area rivers as they continue to rise, approaching or surpassing flood stages.

The rain that just keeps coming is causing trouble throughout the Milwaukee area, from to sewage dumping. JSOnline has a roundup of road closures throughout the Milwaukee area. Travel Midwest has a congestion map that shows incidents and traffic speeds in the Milwaukee area. The Flood Watch for Southeastern Wisconsin through 9 p.m. Thursday evening and rainfall is expected to reach 4 inches in some areas. According to the Emergency Services Department, rivers will rise reaching a number of flood stages. Rivers that are already in flood stage will worsen, rising into moderate and major flood levels. Officials are watching the Rock, Fox, Root and Milwaukee Rivers as localized flooding caused concerns last week. The ground may be thawed, but …

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Bayside Excavating to Improve Water Drainage

Bayside crews are dredging ditches and digging new retention areas to help improve water draining near the railroad truss the spans Brown Deer Road.

Bayside residents may have seen a few heavy-weight trucks and excavating equipment along Brown Deer Road this past week as village crews work to improve water drainage throughout the village. Pederson said when the village has received heavier rainfalls, water would backup on Brown Deer Road forcing police to shut down the road temporarily. All last week, an excavator dug out ditches along Brown Deer Road removing sometimes three feet of rotten leaves, sticks and garbage that were clogging up drainage pipes. "If we had heavy enough rains, the four catch basins under the railroad truss under Brown Deer Road would flood," Pederson said. Crews are creating new retention areas West of North Shore Fire Station No. 1, near the 621 pond, and to …

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UPDATE: High Winds, Huge Waves on Lake Michigan Growing Thanks to Hurricane Sandy

While the East Coast will get the brunt of the huge storm, the weather system also is prompting a gale warning on Lake Michigan in southeastern Wisconsin, with wind gusts on land expected to be up to 40 mph.

As Hurricane Sandy makes its way across the east coast on Monday, National Weather Service officials say residents of the Midwest should be prepared for continually growing winds and high waves on Lake Michigan. A small craft advisory is in effect through Monday evening, with wind gusts expected to be between 25 and 38 mph on the lake, according to NWS Meteorologist Morgan Brooks. A gale warning takes effect Monday night and will last through Tuesday night, with winds between 39 and 54 mph over the lake. "Basically, as Sandy moves closer to the shore and makes landfall it's going to ... affect us," she said. "Already you can see it a bit over Lake Michigan. The winds are expected to increase as Sandy moves." Waves are expected to get to 4 …

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James Meyer

8:55 am on Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Here's video I captured down in the Port Washington Marina today (Tuesday afternoon) http://youtu.be/7FdqwgTV5Iw   more ›

The Editor's Notebook

Don't Call the Police; Call These Guys!

A few helpful numbers to remember when 911 isn't always the best number to call.

We all have known since we were old enough to pick up the telephone that 911 is that magic emergency number. However, what about those times when it's not quite an emergency, but there's definitely a need for help? Capt. Scott McConnell with the Bayside Police Department says that in any situation where you may need help, it's best to call the police and let them decide if something is a true emergency. But just in case, here are a few helpful numbers in case it's not quite a life-or-death situation. Critters, bugs and rodents If you're having issues with any kind of critters - whether they be coyotes, rodents or insects - Advanced Wildlife Control in Mequon is where McConnell may send you. The business can be reached at 262-242-4390. The …

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Residents Pumped to Say 'Goodbye Lake Standish'

A usually sticky and frustrating process, these Bayside residents are welcoming road crews into their front yards.

Road construction: two words that throw nearly any Milwaukeean into a flustered tailspin. The noise, the traffic and the lengthy process all add up to a very negative experience. That, however, is not the case with neighbors in Bayside experiencing a pretty invasive construction project. At the intersection of Tennyson Drive and East Standish Place, residents are watching their roads dug up, their ditches scraped out, and their culverts being replaced. The overhaul of the intersection began Aug. 3 and isn’t expected to be completed until Sept. 1, but you certainly won’t hear neighbors complaining. “Actually, the construction has been painless,” said Virginia Wible, a resident who lives just two houses from the corner.  “It’s been great …

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One Year Later: July 22 Flood Effects Can Still Be Felt

Meteorologists explain the perfect storm that led to massive new control efforts.

One year ago today, July 22, 2010, at just after 5 p.m., the skies blackened, huge swirling clouds rolled over the north metro Milwaukee area, and torrential rain began to pour down. The water came so fast that even areas of high ground were swamped. That water simply could not run off nearly as fast as it was coming down. The flood that followed will remain a powerful memory for the thousands whose homes and businesses were swamped and for those who were caught out in it, trapped in cars for hours on inundated freeways and city streets. The flood also wrought permanent changes in Milwaukee and its suburbs. Soon afterward, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, under fire from the whole north half of its service area, announced a 10…

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Nate

7:51 pm on Friday, July 22, 2011

Specifically, Menomonee Falls' ignorance of proper drainage has come to fruition, as constant subdivision development put stress on yards down the road. The term "100 year flood" is their only excuse they throw at you. I've had 300 years of floods in that case and I don't live by a river. Dig bigger ditches and quit using soda straws for culverts.   more ›

Fox Point Board President Reappointed to MMSD Commission

Michael West re-elected for another three-year term.

Fox Point Village President Michael West has been recommended for another three-year term to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District's governing commission Monday according to a Journal Sentinel article. West has has been the Fox Point Village President for nine years, and the article says he was first appointed to the MMSD commission in 2008. While some commission members are appointed by the Milwaukee Mayor, four members, like West, are appointed by the Executive Council of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Council. The commission will vote on the committee's recommendation at the July 25 meeting.

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Recapping the Rainfall in Bayside

With nearly an inch falling per hour, Bayside slipped through the night with no major flooding issues.

The skies darkened, the wind picked up, and the rain just kept falling. In only one day, the National Weather Service says Milwaukee received nearly three and one-half inches of rain, with Bayside picking up 1.99 inches.  Village Manager Andy Pederson says it's the on-again-off-again rain pattern that kept the water draining properly. "Even if you get a 15-minute break in a rainstorm, it lets the water flow and start moving," Pederson said. The village has pits that can hold massive amounts of water and when they get to a certain point, an alarm goes off. Village crews were called in Tuesday night around 10 p.m. to take a look at the lift stations and reset the alarms, making sure all the water was draining properly. They stayed until 2 a.…

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Rummaging in the River at Doctor's Park

Monday's heavy rains flowed freely down what should be a road, nearly making a river.

With heavy rains on Monday, Doctor's Park had some even heavier water flowing down the paths and across the bridge.

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