Historic Rainfall Brings Milwaukee to a Standstill

Strategic Insights -

Excessive rainfall on Saturday brought the Milwaukee area to a halt, with over nine inches of rain falling in 24 hours. The storm, referred to as a "1,000-year" event by Mayor Cavalier Johnson, caused widespread flooding, power outages, and stranded vehicles. The city's Department of Public Works (DPW) and Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) were overwhelmed by the sheer amount of rain, with some areas seeing as much as 14 inches of rain in 24 hours.

Key Takeaways:

  • The storm was a rare "1,000-year" event, with a 0.1% chance of a flood happening each year based on historical rainfall data, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
  • The Milwaukee area saw an average of over nine inches of rain in 24 hours, with some areas seeing as much as 14 inches of rain.
  • The storm caused widespread flooding, power outages, and stranded vehicles, with nearly 200 outages reported by We Energies in southeastern Wisconsin.
  • DPW and MMSD have embarked on construction projects for bioswales, rain barrels, and crews clearing grates to improve the city's storm response efforts.
  • Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson called the storm a rare event and stated that it was beyond what municipalities could have planned for.
  • The city is working to obtain a disaster declaration to bring aid to citizens affected by the downpour.

Statistics:

  • 9.1 inches of rain fell in 24 hours across the Milwaukee area (Source: Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District)
  • 14 inches of rain fell in 24 hours at Timmerman Airport (Source: WISN 12)
  • 0.1% chance of a flood happening each year based on historical rainfall data (Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
  • 198 outages reported by We Energies in southeastern Wisconsin (Source: We Energies)
  • 2,200 customers experienced outages statewide (Source: We Energies)
  • 9 hours of free drop-off centers provided by DPW to Milwaukee residents to dispose of flood-damaged property (Source: DPW)

Sources:

  • Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • WISN 12
  • We Energies
  • Milwaukee County Department of Public Works
  • Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers