Dudley Tower and Wisconsin River near downtown Wausau. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Emergency managers across Central Wisconsin are being hit with two issues at once.
A quick switch from spring to summer-like temperatures has brought rapidly rising rivers and streams in the region, which has created flooding conditions. Additionally, the lack of snowpack has combined with wind to bring high fire danger to the area. Marathon County Public Information Officer Sara Severson says residents need to prepare against both conditions at the same time.
“It’s a bit contradicting if you look at the situation we are dealing with,” said Severson. “A lot of our ground vegetation has dried out. We’ve got dry grass and a lot of wind going on and lower-than-normal humidity so conditions are ripe for fire to spread.”
Much of the region was under a Red Flag Warning on Wednesday and at least one grass fire was reported in the Plover area. Severson says that means you should wait before engaging in any outdoor activity that involves a fire, even in a controlled setting.
“Now is not the time to have those backyard campfires. [You need to] be mindful of any open flame you may have in the outdoors. Anything from grilling to a campfire could unintentionally go wrong,” said Severson.
As for flooding, she says the best advice remains turn around, don’t drown. “We don’t know if that roadway has been damaged or washed out due to the water, especially if there’s a current. It’s always best to not drive through those flooded roadways. [Instead] turn around and find an alternate route.”
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