River reprieve: Floodwaters recede before wreaking havoc

By Ed Nadolski

Editor in Chief

Burlington area officials were ready for the worst last week as local rivers rushed their banks and threatened record flooding.

But as sandbags were filled and an emergency declared Thursday, the predicted steady downpour instead showed up as nothing more than an annoying drizzle.

When the water began to recede a day later, few people – especially not local officials – were complaining.

“There were predictions that the river had the possibility of topping out at 14 feet,” City Administrator Kevin Lahner said. “That would have meant major flooding and the highest level ever recorded.”

As it was, the Fox River crested at 12.91 feet Friday, nearly two feet above flood stage but a half foot below the record level set in 2008.

City residents and property owners in the area of the Fox River that splits Riverside Park dodged the damaging impact a deluge would have likely brought.

And while sump pumps were working overtime, Lahner said there were no reports of significant water damage.

“(The rain) let up enough that it allowed the river to go down,” Lahner said.

After a largely dry stretch of three days, rain returned on Tuesday. By then, however, the river level had receded to 11.2 feet.

The city had notified about 125 businesses and residences adjacent to the river of the flooding threat and provided them with a pamphlet spelling out methods to prevent flood damage.

Officials were working off photos of the 2008 flood and projected that an additional six inches of water would have caused significant damage to structures in that area.

In preparation, the city purchased from Racine County enough sand and bags to make 10,000 sandbags. The bags were available to residents at the former department of public works site on Maryland Avenue, but less than a handful of residents took advantage of the service.

“We were preparing for the worst and we decided to go ahead and get enough sandbags (based on the water level predictions),” Lahner said. “We didn’t want to be left short.”

He said the sand and bags, which were purchased at cost, will be stockpiled for future flooding. Officials filed the experience in the “better safe than sorry” drawer.

As the water was rising on Thursday, both the city and Racine County declared states of emergency, which paves the way for local government entities to tap into state and federal disaster aid should it be needed, Lahner said.

Vets Terrace dries out

Veterans Terrace, which is adjacent to the spillway of Echo Lake, made it through the weekend relatively unscathed.

River water rising through a drain filled the outdoor Memorial Terrace and lower-level parking area with a foot or two of water, but the water didn’t infiltrate the building thanks to watertight shutters installed on doors and windows at the lower level, according to General Manager Bill Smitz.

Smitz said there was a small amount of water in two low spots inside the building, but that was due to malfunctioning sump pumps. Once the pumps were repaired, he said, the interior remained dry.

He said workers would clean the Memorial Terrace with a power washer once the river water had fully receded.

Highways reopened

The rising Fox River in the Wheatland area prompted state transportation officials to close a section of Highway 50 Friday morning.

The highway was reopened Monday morning after the flood waters fell.

The Highway 50 closure came about the same time officials reopened a section of Highway 75 that runs along the western edge of Bong State Recreation Area.

That highway was closed for about a week as state and county officials feared the earthen dam holding back Vern Wolf Lake would fail and wash over the highway.

Department of Natural Resources officials opened drainage baffles on the lake and were able to draw the lake water down to a safe level.