Seven of the eight pumps being used to drain the yet-deluged Capital City Bike trail were stolen late Tuesday night, resulting in an additional eight inches of flooding on parts of the trail, according to a statement from Madison’s deputy mayor.
City engineers have been forced to re-close the trail where it runs between Broom Street and Blair Street until they can replace the pumps, or until the flood water recedes.
Madison is still recovering from the successive rain storms that brought unprecedented flooding to parts of the community last month. While the forecast looks sunny for now, city officials are still warning residents and business owners not to let their guard down.
“We are in no way free of flooding concerns,” Deputy Mayor Katie Crowley said in a statement Wednesday. “Although we have sunshine in the near-term forecast, additional rain will again tax the levels of Lake Monona, the Yahara River and our storm sewer system.
Lake Monona still remains well above its projected 100-year flood level, and any additional rain could result in more flooding on land. Officials recommend that residents and business owners continue to exercise caution and not discard their sand bags just yet.
