Emergency Rescues and Cleanup Efforts Underway After Manawa Dam Breach

Torrential Rains Lead to Little Wolf River Overflow, Flooded Roads, and Evacuations in Wisconsin Town

Published July 8, 2024

Emergency officials in Manawa, Wisconsin, scrambled on Friday to rescue residents stranded by sudden flooding after torrential rains caused the Little Wolf River to overflow and breach a local dam.

Around 12:30 p.m., the river began overpowering the Manawa Dam following a deluge of more than five inches of rain in just four hours, according to Kurt Kotenberg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Green Bay, according to WLAX in La Crosse.

Drivers attempting to escape the rising waters found themselves trapped on flooded roads. “People were in cars on roads that were flooded,” Kotenberg said, describing scenes of rescues from car rooftops. Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities had been reported by Friday afternoon.

Residents in #Wisconsin, living down Little Wolf River, have been told to evacuate immediately before the 'imminent' collapse of the Manawa Dam

A flash flood emergency was declared for Manawa in Waupaca County as thunderstorms in the area are producing heavy rain pic.twitter.com/yitNOuAQMg
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) July 6, 2024

The heavy rainfall spotlighted the precarious state of dams in the Midwest, reminiscent of the near-failure of the Rapidan Dam in Minnesota the previous month. The Manawa Dam, located near the northern edge of the city, serves as a crucial structure for the community of approximately 1,400 residents.

The National Weather Service issued an advisory urging residents to seek higher ground, while Kotenberg emphasized the importance of sheltering in place and avoiding flooded roads. The Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office echoed these warnings, urging people to stay away from the city and announcing a boil-water advisory due to potential contamination.

Manawa residents faced further challenges on Saturday as they returned home to assess flood damage. Police Chief Jason Severson reported that the dam breach had eroded a 50-foot section of the structure, leading to the evacuation of homes south of the dam. Although the evacuation order was lifted by 5 p.m., many homes sustained flooded basements and property damage.

Cleanup efforts were complicated by the shutdown of the city’s wastewater treatment plant, which remained offline, necessitating continued water safety measures. Despite the challenges, there were no reported injuries, and the community began the arduous task of recovery, preparing for possible additional rain and thunderstorms forecasted for the weekend.