WI flood warnings persist, as does Walker's self-promotion

Walker's official Twitter account leads right now with several self-serving posts about various grant programs, including:

58 min Over $94 million returned to thousands of hardworking families throughout Wisconsin thanks to our $100 Per-Child Tax Rebate!

Looks like he's back on that state airplane, too. 

3 hrs “Scott Walker announces statewide grants in Oconto Falls” 

And his personal Twitter account showed him far from floodwaters, and any mention of the Foxconn flood:

53 min Spent the morning in Sheboygan touring VPI Corporation to hear how Foxconn is having a direct impact on their workers and business! They’re in a great location too -- a block away from Lake Michigan! 

For the real news, check out the detailed National Weather Service very recent flood warnings

effective through Sunday along several state rivers, including this highlight:

National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
1147 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018
...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Wisconsin...
  Baraboo River
    at Rock Springs
    at West Baraboo
    near Baraboo
...
1147 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018.
The Flood Warning continues for The Baraboo River At Rock Springs.
* At 11:15 AM Thursday the stage was 26.4 feet.
* Flood stage is 18.5 feet.
* Major flooding is occurring and Major flooding is forecast.
* Forecast.The river is forecast to continue rising to near 27.0
  feet by this evening. The river should fall below flood stage by Sunday evening.

Flood Warning

---

Flood Statement
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
1147 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in
Wisconsin...

  Baraboo River
    at Rock Springs
    at West Baraboo
    near Baraboo

&&
WIC111-070446-
/O.EXT.KMKX.FL.W.0060.000000T0000Z-180910T0651Z/
/RSPW3.3.ER.180829T1830Z.180831T0545Z.180910T0051Z.NO/
1147 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

The Flood Warning continues for
  The Baraboo River At Rock Springs.
* At 11:15 AM Thursday the stage was 26.4 feet.
* Flood stage is 18.5 feet.
* Major flooding is occurring and Major flooding is forecast.
* Forecast...The river is forecast to continue rising to near 27.0
  feet by this evening. The river should fall below flood stage by Sunday
  evening.
* Impact...At 23.0 feet...Floodwaters touch the base of the river
  gauge house in Rock Springs. Floodwaters cover much of Highways DD,
  154 and 136 in Rock Springs.  Busser Park along Highway 136 and the
  baseball diamond in Fireman`s Park along Highway DD are covered
  with water up to 4 feet deep.  Floodwaters affect some businesses,
  including the Post Office, along Highway 154 in Rock Springs.

&&

LAT...LON 4349 8998 4353 8990 4350 8986 4348 8982 4343 8990 4346 8997

$$

---

Flood Statement
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
1147 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in
Wisconsin...

  Baraboo River
    at Rock Springs
    at West Baraboo
    near Baraboo

&&
WIC111-070446-
/O.EXT.KMKX.FL.W.0061.000000T0000Z-180911T0807Z/
/BABW3.3.ER.180830T1410Z.180908T0000Z.180911T0207Z.NO/
1147 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

The Flood Warning continues for
  The Baraboo River Near Baraboo.
* At 10:00 AM Thursday the stage was 21.5 feet.
* Flood stage is 16.0 feet.
* Minor flooding is occurring and Major flooding is forecast.
* Forecast...The river is expected to continue rising to near 25.0
  feet by tomorrow evening. The river should fall below flood stage
  by Monday evening.
* Impact...At 24.6 feet... Floodwaters affect a trailer rental
  business, a wayside park, and an auto auction business about 5
  miles downstream of the gauge near the Highway 33 bridge.

&&

LAT...LON 4342 8965 4351 8967 4353 8964 4354 8957 4349 8945 4347 8957

$$

&&

River forecasts are available for some but not all river gaging
locations. The 7 day river forecast takes into account past
precipitation, soil moisture conditions, and predicted
precipitation for the basin. Precipitation is for the next 24 hours
in the future from April through September and for 48 hours in the
future from October through March.

(stages in ft.)        Bank-      Latest         Forecast stages
-               Flood  full      observed        ...for 6 pm...
Location       stage  stage    stage/time       Thu  Fri  Sat  Sun
Baraboo         16.0  14.0  21.48 10 AM 09/06  22.8 25.0 24.3 21.5
West Baraboo     9.0   7.0   9.89 11 AM 09/06  10.5 10.8  9.5  7.5
Rock Springs    18.5  13.5  26.40 11 AM 09/06  27.0 25.2 22.6 18.6

-                   Highest      24 hour change
-                   observed     in river stage
-                   stage in      (ft.) up to      Highest stage
-                   the last    latest observed     forecast in
-                   7 days          stage           next 7 days
Baraboo         24.47  06 AM 09/02    1.03      25.00 07 PM 09/07
West Baraboo    10.76  06 AM 09/01    2.23      11.00 07 AM 09/07
Rock Springs    27.12  01 AM 08/31       M      27.00 07 PM 09/06

Below is the latest predicted precipitation information in 6 hour
increments for the listed sites. This information is updated twice
daily - in the morning and evening. Precipitation prediction is for
48 hours into the future from October through March and for 24
hours into the future from April through September.

West Baraboo: 6 am-noon  Thu Sep 06  0.00
West Baraboo: noon-6 pm  Thu Sep 06  0.00
West Baraboo: 6 pm-midn  Thu Sep 06  0.00
West Baraboo: midn-6 am  Fri Sep 07  0.00
West Baraboo: 6 am-noon  Fri Sep 07  0.00
West Baraboo: noon-6 pm  Fri Sep 07  0.00
West Baraboo: 6 pm-midn  Fri Sep 07  0.00
West Baraboo: midn-6 am  Sat Sep 08  0.00

Baraboo: 6 am-noon  Thu Sep 06  0.00
Baraboo: noon-6 pm  Thu Sep 06  0.00
Baraboo: 6 pm-midn  Thu Sep 06  0.00
Baraboo: midn-6 am  Fri Sep 07  0.00
Baraboo: 6 am-noon  Fri Sep 07  0.00
Baraboo: noon-6 pm  Fri Sep 07  0.00
Baraboo: 6 pm-midn  Fri Sep 07  0.00
Baraboo: midn-6 am  Sat Sep 08  0.00

Rock Springs: 6 am-noon  Thu Sep 06  0.00
Rock Springs: noon-6 pm  Thu Sep 06  0.00
Rock Springs: 6 pm-midn  Thu Sep 06  0.00
Rock Springs: midn-6 am  Fri Sep 07  0.00
Rock Springs: 6 am-noon  Fri Sep 07  0.00
Rock Springs: noon-6 pm  Fri Sep 07  0.00
Rock Springs: 6 pm-midn  Fri Sep 07  0.00
Rock Springs: midn-6 am  Sat Sep 08  0.00

---

Flood Statement
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
1147 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in
Wisconsin...

  Baraboo River
    at Rock Springs
    at West Baraboo
    near Baraboo

&&
WIC111-070446-
/O.EXT.KMKX.FL.W.0081.000000T0000Z-180909T1200Z/
/BBOW3.2.ER.180906T0802Z.180907T1200Z.180909T0600Z.NO/
1147 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

The Flood Warning continues for
  The Baraboo River At West Baraboo.
* At 11:00 AM Thursday the stage was 9.9 feet.
* Flood stage is 9.0 feet.
* Minor flooding is occurring and Moderate flooding is forecast.
* Forecast...The river is forecast to continue rising to near 11.0
  feet by tomorrow morning. The river should fall below flood stage by
  Sunday morning.
* Impact...At 12.0 feet...There is widespread lowland and
  agricultural land flooding in the Baraboo area. Floodwaters spread
  into the lower portions of Haskins Park in West Baraboo in the area
  of the gauge.

&&

LAT...LON 4343 8990 4356 8988 4352 8974 4353 8966 4344 8960 4342 8978

$$

---

Flood Statement
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
1115 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in
Wisconsin...

  Baraboo River
    at La Valle
    at Reedsburg
    at Rock Springs
    at West Baraboo
    near Baraboo

&&
WIC111-070415-
/O.CON.KMKX.FL.W.0083.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
/RBGW3.3.ER.180904T1600Z.180905T1930Z.000000T0000Z.NO/
1115 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

The Flood Warning continues for
  The Baraboo River At Reedsburg.
* At  9:30 AM Thursday the stage was 18.8 feet.
* Flood stage is 14.0 feet.
* Major flooding is occurring...
* Forecasts are not issued for this location. This warning will
  remain in effect until the river falls below flood stage.
* Impact...At 19.0 feet...Floodwaters affect Granite Avenue and South
  Webb Avenue along the river. Floodwaters are 2 feet deep in the
  Public Works Building. South Park next to the wastewater plant is
  underwater. Floodwaters are into the swimming pool control room in
  Webb Park. Floodwaters are 5 to 5.5 feet deep in the Public Works
  Yard.

&&

LAT...LON 4354 9011 4358 9004 4355 8996 4352 8991 4348 8998 4352 9006

$$

---

Flood Statement
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
1115 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in
Wisconsin...

  Baraboo River
    at La Valle
    at Reedsburg
    at Rock Springs
    at West Baraboo
    near Baraboo

&&
WIC111-070415-
/O.CON.KMKX.FL.W.0082.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
/LAVW3.2.ER.180904T1132Z.180905T0830Z.000000T0000Z.NO/
1115 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

The Flood Warning continues for
  The BARABOO RIVER at La Valle.
* At  7:00 AM Thursday the stage was 16.3 feet.
* Flood stage is 15.0 feet.
* Minor flooding is occurring...
* Forecasts are not issued for this location. This warning will
  remain in effect until the river falls below flood stage.
* Impact...At 15.0 feet...Between stages 12 feet and 18 feet, there
  is lowland flooding in the La Valle area.
&&

LAT...LON 4359 9019 4363 9014 4361 9010 4358 9004 4354 9011 4356 9014

$$

---

Flood Statement
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
1056 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in
Wisconsin...

  Rock River at
    Watertown
    Jefferson
    Fort Atkinson
    near Lake Koshkonong
    Newville
    Afton

  Fox River (North)
    at Princeton
    near Berlin

  Fox River (South)
    at Waukesha
    near New Munster

  Pecatonica River at
    Martintown

  East Branch of the Pecatonica River
    near Blanchardville

  Sugar River at
    Brodhead

  Crawfish River at
    Milford

&&
WIC065-070355-
/O.EXT.KMKX.FL.W.0087.000000T0000Z-180908T0000Z/
/BCHW3.1.ER.180906T0255Z.180906T1800Z.180907T1200Z.NO/
1056 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

The Flood Warning continues for
  The East Branch Pecatonica River Near Blanchardville.
* At 8 AM Thursday the stage was 12.1 feet.
* Flood stage is 11.0 feet.
* Minor flooding is occurring and Minor flooding is forecast.
* Forecast...The river is forest to crest near 12.4 feet this afternoon
  and fall below flood stage Friday morning.
* Impact...At 12.8 feet...Highway H is flooded and closed. Floodwaters
  completely fill McKellar Park, the tennis courts and football field in Blanchardville.

&&

LAT...LON 4283 8992 4284 8984 4279 8981 4272 8984 4272 8991 4279 8991

$$

---

Flood Statement
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
1056 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in
Wisconsin...

  Rock River at
    Watertown
    Jefferson
    Fort Atkinson
    near Lake Koshkonong
    Newville
    Afton

  Fox River (North)
    at Princeton
    near Berlin

  Fox River (South)
    at Waukesha
    near New Munster

  Pecatonica River at
    Martintown

  East Branch of the Pecatonica River
    near Blanchardville

  Sugar River at
    Brodhead

  Crawfish River at
    Milford

&&
WIC055-070355-
/O.CON.KMKX.FL.W.0073.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
/JFFW3.2.ER.180904T0215Z.180908T0600Z.000000T0000Z.NO/
1056 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

The Flood Warning continues for
  The Rock River At Jefferson.
* At 9:15 AM Thursday the stage was 11.3 feet.
* Flood stage is 10.0 feet.
* Moderate flooding is occurring and Moderate flooding is forecast.
* Forecast...The river is forecast to have a broad crest near 12.1 feet
  from Friday night through Monday night.
* Impact...At 12.0 feet...Riverview Drive is closed due to
  floodwaters on the road. The Tensfeldt Park boat launch is closed.
  Floodwaters affect highway K between Jefferson and Fort Atkinson.

&&

LAT...LON 4304 8886 4304 8876 4300 8876 4297 8878 4297 8887 4301 8887

$$

---

Flood Statement
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
1056 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in
Wisconsin...

  Rock River at
    Watertown
    Jefferson
    Fort Atkinson
    near Lake Koshkonong
    Newville
    Afton

  Fox River (North)
    at Princeton
    near Berlin

  Fox River (South)
    at Waukesha
    near New Munster

  Pecatonica River at
    Martintown

  East Branch of the Pecatonica River
    near Blanchardville

  Sugar River at
    Brodhead

  Crawfish River at
    Milford

&&
WIC045-070355-
/O.EXT.KMKX.FL.W.0075.000000T0000Z-180909T1200Z/
/MTNW3.1.ER.180905T1930Z.180907T0000Z.180909T0600Z.NO/
1056 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

The Flood Warning continues for
  The Pecatonica River At Martintown.
* At 8 AM Thursday the stage was 13.9 feet.
* Flood stage is 13.5 feet.
* Minor flooding is occurring and Minor flooding is forecast.
* Forecast...The river is forecast to have a broad crest from this
  evening through Friday near 14.1 feet and then fall below flood stage
  Saturday night.
* Impact...At 13.5 feet...Floodwaters affect Martintown Road and West
  River Road in the Martintown area. Upstream in Browntown,
  floodwaters affect highway MM and West Indies Road.

&&

LAT...LON 4272 8992 4272 8984 4263 8980 4251 8970 4251 8988 4260 8993

$$

---

Flood Statement
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
1056 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in
Wisconsin...

  Rock River at
    Watertown
    Jefferson
    Fort Atkinson
    near Lake Koshkonong
    Newville
    Afton

  Fox River (North)
    at Princeton
    near Berlin

  Fox River (South)
    at Waukesha
    near New Munster

  Pecatonica River at
    Martintown

  East Branch of the Pecatonica River
    near Blanchardville

  Sugar River at
    Brodhead

  Crawfish River at
    Milford

&&
WIC045-105-070355-
/O.EXT.KMKX.FL.W.0079.000000T0000Z-180910T0000Z/
/BROW3.1.ER.180904T0535Z.180906T1315Z.180909T1800Z.NO/
1056 AM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018

The Flood Warning continues for
  The Sugar River At Brodhead.
* At 8:15 AM Thursday the stage was 6.6 feet.
* Flood stage is 5.0 feet.
* Minor flooding is occurring and Minor flooding is forecast.
* Forecast...The river is currently cresting and is forecast to have
  a secondary crest near 6.3 feet Friday night and then fall below
  flood stage Sunday afternoon.
* Impact...At 6.5 feet...There is widespread flooding of lowland and
  agricultural land. Downstream in the Avon Bottoms area of Rock
  County, there is flooding in Sugar River Park. Some roads are
  flooded in Avon Township, about 6 miles downstream of Brod

GOP WI Senators - - didja pack your big boy boots today?

It's Wisconsin climate karma Tuesday.

Update:

High water closes roads and streams rise to flood stage throughout southeastern Wisconsin

Or, it's The Day GOP State Senators Who Flunked 7th Grade Geography Better Look Out For Flooded Roads Heading Home.:

*  Because of this on Monday.

Senate Votes Tuesday On Controversial Bill Allowing Some Wisconsin Wetlands To Be Filled

As the GOP Senate caucus says, 'who needs those stupid wetlands?' 
And look - - the DNR has jumped in with a brand new web tool to make it easier to see if that wetland you want to fill is free of restrictions!

*  But back to Tuesday and this today:

Flood Warning Remains in Effect for Southern Wisconsin 

A Flood Warning has been issued for Dane, Green, Jefferson, Lafayette, Rock, and Walworth counties until 6:45 p.m. Tuesday. Also, a Flood Watch, Winter Weather Advisory, and Dense Fog Advisory are in place for portions of southern Wisconsin. 

Several counties have reported flooding in several locations. Many reports are out of Green and Rock counties where several inches of water are over roadways. The Pecatonica River, Rock River, Root River, Turtle Creek and Sugar River are expected to exceed flood stage over the next 24 hours. Minor to moderate flooding is anticipated. 

Also - - let's keep an eye on the flood-prone Root River cited above in flood-prone Racine County where Foxconn already has permission for unprecedented, permit-free wetland filling.

And I see a couple of dozen hazardous materials' Wisconsin sites in this just-published interactive map about increasing flood danger.

Anyone going to miss the wetlands there?

Why N. IL is nervous about Foxconn, wetland filling

You may recall that just a few days ago Illinois officials expressed concerns that the Foxconn development, with its wetlands filling and eased regulatory climate, would lead to flooding by the already flood-prone Des Plaines River.

Lake County, IL is documenting negative environmental impacts from Foxconn project construction and the more-brown-than-green green light Wisconsin under Walker gave the project, the Chicago Tribune is reporting.

Wetlands being filled in, silt spilling into Des Plaines River due to Foxconn development, Lake County study finds

Runoff from the Foxconn site after an August thunderstorm 

(Here is a complete archive about Foxconn dating to the summer of 2017).

A Chicago meteorologist said this about the Des Plaines River and worsening flooding last year.

It’s certainly true that the Des Plaines River (and other rivers and streams in the Chicago area) are flooding more frequently...urbanization proceeds upstream...resulting in higher river crests downstream in areas whose earlier development did not anticipate upstream development.

Now The Chicago Tribune says the river is 'filled to the brim,' and this Friday-Saturday-Sunday National Weather Service flood warning shows just what makes IL so nervous:

Severe Weather Alerts - Chicago , IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning in effect until Sunday, 1:00 AM CDT. Source: U.S. National Weather Service

The Flood Warning continues for
The Des Plaines River near Des Plaines, or from Palatine Road in
Prospect Heights downstream to Irving Park Road in Chicago.
* until late Saturday night.
* At 945 AM Friday the stage was 14.9 feet.
* Flood stage is 15.0 feet.
* Minor flooding is forecast.
* Forecast...Rise above flood stage by this afternoon and continue to
rise to near 15.2 feet by this evening.
* Impact...At 15.0 feet...Roads in the forest preserve begin to flood.

Many WI flood warnings remain; Twitter shows Walker pressed, dry, mud-and-care-free

Floods? What floods? Walker uses official Twitter account to make him look pressed, dry and very mud-and-care-free, while...

The National Weather Service continued late Friday morning to post flood warnings for many WI rivers, counties and communities:

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in
Wisconsin...

  Baraboo River At Rock Springs affecting Sauk County
  Baraboo River At West Baraboo affecting Sauk County
  Baraboo River Near Baraboo affecting Sauk County
  Fox River At Waukesha affecting Waukesha County
  Pecatonica River At Martintown affecting Green County
  Sugar River At Brodhead affecting Green and Rock Counties
  Baraboo River At Reedsburg affecting Sauk County
  Rock River At Watertown affecting Jefferson County
  Rock River At Jefferson affecting Jefferson County
  Rock River At Fort Atkinson affecting Jefferson County
  Rock River Near Lake Koshkonong affecting Jefferson and Rock
  Counties
  Rock River At Newville affecting Rock County
  Rock River At Afton affecting Rock County
  Fox River At Princeton affecting Green Lake County
  Fox River Near Berlin affecting Green Lake County
  Crawfish River At Milford affecting Jefferson County..

But Gov. Walker's official Twitter feed remains top-heavy with campaign-related-self-promotion, and none of those warnings or this kind of storm imagery:

I noted the same thing yesterday, but 24 hours does not a caring, empathetic Governor make.

In fact, while Walker tweeted out a smattering of flood information in recent days, he has not posted an image of himself on muddy, flooded ground since 8/31.

Update: Oh, look: Here's Walker inspecting flood damage in a tweet after my blog was posted here, on Facebook and Twitter. Coincidence?

Verified account

11 m Stopped by Leon Country Floors & More to see flood damage.

Verified account 11 minutes ago

And he even had the gall to post this the same day, Aug. 31, before the rains and flood warnings had stopped:

Verified account Aug 31

Governor Walker Retweeted Travel Wisconsin

Despite the rain, most parts of the state are open for visitors to enjoy this Labor Day weekend!

Governor Walker added,

0:49

Verified account

8 replies2 retweets13 likes

Here's what's at the top of his official twitter feed right now.More

1 h 10 years of connecting our highly-skilled workforce with rewarding career opportunities at https://jobcenterofwisconsin.com !#WIWorking

4 h ICYMI: We are continuing to build on the more than $8 billion in cumulative tax relief enacted since taking office. --> “Nearly 558K Wisconsin families filed for the $100-per-child tax rebate.” #AccountableGov 

And while Walker was using our tax dollars to promote himself, @RedCrossWIS at the same time was picking up the slack:

 4h4 hours ago

Residents impacted by storms/flooding are invited to find convenient, proximate, in-person access to Red Cross recovery assistance & health resources Saturday in Sauk County: * La Valle Town Hall, 314 Highways 58N/33W: 9 am-3 pm * Reedsburg Library, 370 Vine St.: 9 am-5 pm

 4h4 hours ago

We'll continue neighborhood/home visits across the state and will share any additional resource events as they're available. To connect with someone to help in your recovery, contact your county emergency management agency, call 2-1-1 or dial our hotline: 888-700-7051

0 replies0 retweets1 like

Foxconn headed for flood-prone Racine County

[Reposted, updated from 9/12/17] 

So Kenosha County is out, and Racine County 'wins' the Foxconn location competition by default, raising this water-related Foxconn [full issue archive, here] question:

With record-breaking flooding in Racine County this summer that even destroyed all the money in one local bank's vault, and more flooding in 2016, and also in 2008, you have to wonder if it's smart for the Governor and legislature to approve unique environmental waivers allowing Foxconn to divert stream flows and fill water-absorbing wetlands in Racine County to build its state-subsidized factory.  

[10/15/17 update] I wish Wisconsin business columnist and Foxconn backer Tom Still had included the details of the Foxconn wetlands waiver issue, and the overall contempt for science exhibited by Scott Walker through major DNR budget cuts and website deletions in his October 14 column, "Science can help mitigate effects of natural disasters."

Natural disasters will happen, with or without climate change. The trick is understanding how to mitigate the effects of those disasters before and after they happen.

More information about Racine County and the 11% of its area covered by 23,000+ acres of wetlands, here.

Racine County is one of seven counties in the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, (SEWRPC), and it said in a lengthy 2015 report that flooding was a major hazard in Racine County (beginning in p. 86):

Flooding is a significant hazard in Racine County. As described in Chapter II, there are approximately 101 miles of major streams in Racine County, located within four watersheds: the Fox (Illinois) River, Root River, Pike River, and Des Plaines River watersheds. A fifth watershed encompasses those areas adjacent to Lake Michigan which drain directly into the Lake through intermittent streams. There are also 10 major lakes in Racine County. Floodlands are the wide, gently sloping areas contiguous to, and usually lying on both sides of, a stream channel. For planning and regulatory purposes, floodlands are normally defined as the areas subject to inundation by the one-percent-annual-probability (100-year recurrence interval) flood event...

Approximately 34.7 square miles, not including surface water in lakes and existing stream channels, or about 10 percent of the total area of the County, were located within the one-percent-annual-probability flood hazard area. A consideration in flood hazard mitigation is the potential for increased flooding due to dam failures. Since there are a number of major and minor dams in Racine County, including six rated by the State as being a high or significant hazard, future evaluation of floodplain areas related to dam failure should be considered. All of the floodplain areas have been mapped on large-scale topographic mapping prepared at a scale of one inch equals 200 feet, with a contour interval of two feet...

While the focus of this section is on the flooding hazard, the related stormwater drainage hazards are also considered because of the interrelationship between those two hazard conditions.

Historical Flooding Problems
As noted earlier in this chapter, a number of major flooding events, including several that caused significant damage, have been recorded in Racine County, as well as in the watershed areas partly encompassed within the County....

Description of Recent Flood Events
Since 1990, there have been 39 flood events reported by the National Climatic Data Center affecting Racine County. Those flood events were reported to have caused property damages totaling, in 2008 dollars, about $41.7 million in damage, of which $34.5 million was related to crop damages. The most severe recent events occurred in June-July 1993, June 1996, August 1998, June 1999, July 2, 2000, May-June 2004, August 19-22, 2007, June 7-9, 2008, and June 19, 2009. 

Subsequent to the SEWRPC report, Great Lakes governors approved Waukesha's application to divert millions of gallons of water daily from Lake Michigan, returning it as I'd noted on this blog as treated wastewater via the Root River, so more flow though the county.

The bill the Senate will approve today for the Governor's signature shortly thereafter with those privileges for Foxconn also exempts the project from the production of a standard  Environmental Impact Statement, (EIS), which would investigate these issues and their broad public impacts.

But the EIS was dismissed as a burdensome  "book report" by the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce - - the state's largest business association and a leading Foxconn booster - - so little wonder that an EIS is barred for the Foxconn project, despite its historic physical and financial dimensions.

Can you imagine any WMC board member or official waiving the inspection on a home site he or she were buying?

Little wonder that while the Foxconn measure is being fast-tracked through the Legislature, a new push for deregulated mining is also being rushed into the legislative process, since what's good for Foxconn and big agricultural polluters will also become routine for metallic mines and their acidic runoff.

So it goes in Scott Walker's Wisconsin, where he continues to dismiss the relevancy in the face of recent and repetitive flooding in several parts of the state, has directed the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources be run with "a chamber of commerce mentality," where climate change has been deleted from websites and the official state consciousness, and where since 2011 Walker has systematically removed funding, science, staff, anti-pollution enforcement measures from its operations.