Madison, Wis. – Residents across southern Wisconsin, eastern Iowa, and parts of western Illinois should prepare for potential flooding as a series of storms brings heavy rain from Saturday afternoon through Monday. The National Weather Service has issued Flood Watches covering major population centers including Madison, Dubuque, Davenport, Rock Island, and surrounding counties.
According to the National Weather Service offices in Milwaukee/Sullivan, Quad Cities, and La Crosse, repeated rounds of thunderstorms could dump rainfall at rates exceeding 1 to 2 inches per hour. Excessive runoff may lead to flash flooding in low-lying areas and cause rivers and streams to rise quickly, with some reaching flood stage by early next week.
Travel may become hazardous on portions of I-39, I-43, I-80, and I-90, as water could pond on roadways and overwhelm storm drains. Rural roads along creeks and rivers in counties such as Dane, Rock, Grant, and Lafayette in Wisconsin, and Johnson, Muscatine, and Louisa in Iowa, are especially at risk.
Emergency managers urge residents to avoid driving through flooded intersections and to keep phones and backup power sources charged in case of outages. Those in flood-prone areas should have a plan to move to higher ground if warnings are issued.
Watches remain in effect through Monday, with additional advisories possible if storms persist.
