Concerns over flooding have been raised after a wave of warm weather swept through the Madison area, causing large amounts of snow to melt.
Temperatures above freezing are expected to continue for the foreseeable future. Rain showers Thursday afternoon and the possibility of snow early Friday could potentially pose more flooding problems for the city.
The National Weather Service has reported heavy flooding in certain rivers in the Madison area. Weather experts warn flooding could continue into the weekend and may be exacerbated Thursday evening as a passing cold front is predicted to bring in scattered thunderstorms.
Several roads throughout Dane County and southern Wisconsin were closed Thursday due to flooding, with multiple others on flooding watch. The Madison-area towns of Lodi and DeForest experienced major flooding Thursday, prompting downtown evacuations and shutting off utilities.
The current Madison mayoral candidates, Soglin and Rhodes-Conway, have included flood preparedness programs as prominent campaign issues in the wake of intense flooding this past summer, when Dane County incurred $39 million in damage to public infrastructure. Both the City of Madison and Dane County have included millions of dollars in recent budgets to help future prevention efforts.
The city has warned of rising water levels and urged all residents to keep safe and to clear storm drains of any obstructions.
