Portage Wisconsin: Levee Fails, Hundreds Told to Evacuate: Photo

by Amy Judd | September 27, 2010 at 07:27 am

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In Portage WI, Hundreds of People Have Been Ordered to Evacuate After a 120-Year-Old Sand Levee Along the Wisconsin River Has Started to Fail

According to MyStateline.com, the flooding has not yet reached Portage, but if residents wait until the water levels reach their homes, then rescue crews will not be able to reach them. On Sunday an alert was sent out by Columbia County Emergency Management to alert residents near Blackhawk Park to evacuate and although some have, others remain in the area.

Residents have not lost power to their homes.

The biggest concern on Monday morning is the level of the Wisconsin River and the danger that the levee could fail completely.

The levee is located on the south side of the Wisconsin River, just south of Portage. The levee north of Portage is holding well and is not a danger to residents.

An emergency shelter operated by the Red Cross has been opened in a local church and residents can make their way there if they choose.

The levee started to fail on Sunday night and it was confirmed on Monday morning that it had indeed failed and the water was now threatening homes.

"Once the levee completely fails ... it is unknown how far south the flood waters of the Wisconsin River will travel," the weather agency said Sunday night.

Residents are being instructed to move to higher ground as roads could be closed, cutting off communities.

It is expected that the level of the Wisconsin River will remain at about 17 feet until Wednesday, and the town of Portage will not be considered out of danger until levels drop below this flood stage.

At about 12am on Monday the river crested at about 3.5 feet above flood level and has not receded since.

Officials with the Department of Natural Resources have been monitoring the failed levee for days and were working to repair problem areas. But Greg Matthews, a spokesman for Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources, said Sunday that "this is one problem we have not been able to contain and, it's getting worse.