Eastern Wisconsin Community Evacuated After Dam Breach Causes Severe Flooding in Manawa

An eastern Wisconsin community, Manawa, faced a crisis when floodwaters breached a dam along the Little Wolf River, resulting in severe flooding and prompting evacuations. The incident was confirmed by the National Weather Service meteorologist, Scott Cultice, who reported the breach occurred around 1:45 p.m.

The breach led to significant land erosion alongside the dam, causing the draining of the Manawa mill pond across key streets like Union Street, N. Bridge Street, Beech Street, Howard Street, and Industrial Drive. As a result, people living downriver were evacuated by the Manawa Police Department.

The heavy rainfall, which started early Friday morning around 8:30 a.m., resulted in approximately 5 inches of rainfall in just a few hours, leading to flash flooding in Manawa and surrounding areas in Waupaca County. The continuous rain led to water rescues and flooded most of the downtown roads in Manawa.

In response to the flooding, emergency shelters were opened at the Little Wolf Senior High School and the Masonic Lodge on East 4th Street and North Bridge Street, respectively. Multiple streets in Manawa experienced severe flooding, with vehicles being submerged on the roads.

Union Street, N. Bridge Street, Howard Street, Beech Street, and Industrial Drive were among the worst-hit areas, with Beech Street reported as being washed away entirely. Due to the escalating situation, all entrances to the city of Manawa were blocked as a safety measure to prevent further vehicular entries into the flooded city.

As a precaution, the Manawa Police Department declared a ‘Boil Water Advisory’ for the town and its surrounding areas. Public health officials issued the advisory due to concerns over contamination of the water supply caused by the flooding.

Key locations, such as the Wolf River Campground and the Manawa Rodeo Grounds, were evacuated, emphasizing the scale of the emergency response in the face of the devastating flooding. The Waupaca County Sheriff, Timothy Wilz, coordinated efforts across multiple departments to manage the crisis effectively.