Madison city officials are warning residents to keep sandbags in place as rain forecasts over the next several days raise concerns for a new round of flash flooding.
City officials report both Lakes Monona and Mendota rose five inches following rainstorms Sunday and Monday, but are still down six and nine inches respectively from their highs during the August storms. Both lakes are expected to rise more if recent forecasts hold true.
Current forecasts predict rain starting Thursday night and continuing through next Wednesday. Rain is also expected next weekend, which would only allow two days between storms for the city to recover.
The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Watch for Madison and much of Southwestern Wisconsin Thursday, in effect from 7 p.m. on Friday to 1 p.m. on Saturday. According to the NWS, flooding is most likely in Madison and the areas to the southwest of the city due to probable heavy rains falling on saturated soil.
In their first flooding update in over two weeks, city officials warned residents in flood-prone areas to leave sandbags in place and not to park their cars in low-lying areas. They also warned of possible lane or road closures on Mifflin and Johnson Streets on the east side of town.
