US dam bursts open after heavy flooding (Wisconsin now)

[lovuian]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php?sid=368997

A dam in Wisconsin, in the mid-west US, has split open, washing away some homes.

The dam, in Wisconsin Dells, a family holdiday area which is sometimes known as “the waterpark capital of the world,” has been subject to torrential rains.

No deaths or injuries were reported, although residents were urged to evacuate before the dam burst.

The area which is famous for its scenic lakes and resorts, was one of the areas threatened by a series of drenching mid-west storms in recent weeks.

The failure of the Delton Dam on Lake Delton caused mudslides that swept away a few homes.
more...
Iowa and now Wisconsin Be safe DUERS

[Muttocracy]

1. I'm glad people evacuated

Maybe after Katrina, Tsunami, Cyclone, etc. people pay more attention now :(

[HughMoran]

14. "people pay more attention now"

Are you relating the evacuation of a few hundred people to Katrina & evacuating hundreds of thousands?

You are implying it was the people in NOLAs fault for not being able to get out (many were unable).

Wow.

[cboy4]

2. The pcitures out of Wisconsin are desvastating. :(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOvLU2S2JBo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnOa5yBA8sM

[lovuian]

7. that house falling into the river was amazing

So sad for the people of Wisconsin

[skooooo]

16. happening in Indiana too.

[defendandprotect]

3. If I recall the reports correctly, they've been having 8-10" of rain in one day . . !!

with more to come --- !!!

THIS is, of course, Global Warming and now we can definitely say that one of the compounding features of GW will be threats to dams ---

[PeaceNikki]

4. Lake Delton in Wisconsin Dells is.... well, gone.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=186&topic_id=25446&mesg_id=25446

http://www.jsonline.com/watch/?watch=1&date=6/9/2008&id=41084

MONDAY, June 9, 2008, 1:33 p.m.
By Don Walker and Meg Jones

Rushing flood waters drain Lake Delton



Lake Delton near the Dells is essentially empty after the rain-swollen lake cut its own channel around a dam and emptied into the Wisconsin River, taking four homes with it.

The 254-acre lake is the home of the famed Tommy Bartlett Water Show. Tom Diehl, who operates the show and is a trustee for the Village of Lake Delton, said there was nothing but mud where the show is staged every day.

"We haven't had a show since Friday," Diehl said in a telephone interview. "We canceled Saturday and Sunday because of high water," he said. "Today, we're canceling because of no water."

Diehl described the Lake Delton situation as a once in 250-year event. "It dropped inch after inch after inch into the watershed," Diehl said. "Last night the lake went up 20 inches. We started sandbagging trying to protect the dam. But when the water got too high, four homes were lost. It took on a life of its own."

Diehl estimated there were 10-15 resorts on Lake Delton. Those resorts will lose significant business, Diehl said.

On the scene where the lake used to be, Journal Sentinel photographer Joe Koshollek said it looks as if a plug had been pulled from a bathtub filled with water. The lake, which is where the popular amphibious Ducks travel, has been pretty much all drained.

"The lake is gone," Koshollek said. "I heard one girl say 'I'm out of a job' because she rents jet skis."

...

[cascadiance]

18. Here's another slide show from Wisconsin...

http://www2.jsonline.com/site/photographerphotos/SlideShow.aspx?catid=1263&N=0&photoid=23057

[rusty quoin]

5. We had floods in Indiana too. Too many disasters going on.

[gristy]

6. Sounds similar to the flooding in the northeast this month 2 years ago

though hopefully it will end soon and be less destructive.

The flooding was attributed to several weather factors that all came together over the region.

The primary factor was the stalling of the jet stream just to the west of the Appalachians. That, combined with the Bermuda high over the Atlantic Ocean, blocked any systems from moving inland or offshore. The influence of a tropical low (which nearly became a tropical storm but did not attain a full surface circulation) off the North Carolina coast allowed a constant stream of tropical moisture to enter the Mid-Atlantic region. The resulting heavy and prolonged rains overflowed the banks of many rivers, lakes, and streams, leading to the flooding.

A senior National Weather Service meteorologist declared that rain events of this size take place in the region only every 200 years.<3>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_Flood_of_June_2006

[elocs]

8. Here in western Wisconsin the flooding is said to be worse than that of last summer

because the ground is more saturated. Fortunately there has been no loss of life this time. There were areas here which got 10" of rain. The irony for me is that although I live 1 block from the Black River on the northside of La Crosse which is much lower than the southside of town which had street flooding and I was in no danger of any flooding (we only got about 5").

[malaise]

9. Stay safe

The pictures and video I saw earlier today were frightening.
:grouphug:

Sp.

[elocs]

10. Thanks. I am very safe for being only 1 block from the river.

It tends to be those quiet little creeks that turn into raging rivers that cause most of the trouble. Ironic that the 100 year flood that occurred last summer came back again in 8 months.

[malaise]

12. Damn that's close

Bush should be impeached for his lies about climate change.

[elocs]

13. I think that most people around here are believers now.

The thing is that rivers of size need a lot of water to make them rise substantially. Nice, gentle and usually cozy creeks do not react the same.

[lonestarnot]

11. Every night before I go to bed I check the weather in the midwest.

I was afraid something like this was going to happen.

[emlev]

15. intense video of houses washing away (link)

Click here for video.

[annm4peace]

17. Where's the National Guard ? the sand bags?

Did they build their homes closer than usually to the water?

Hasn't this much rain fallen before?

Don't we usually see National Guard members along with the community filling sand bags. and using bulldozers to shore up around the homes so the water doesn't come in?

[concerned canadian]

20. "where's the National Guard?"

I think they've been stop-lossed to Iraq

[lunatica]

22. Where's Bush for his photo op

Telling someone what a heckufajob they're doing? Has anyone bothered to put a CD together to show him yet?

[saigon68]

24. He is Preening himself for fleas

[roamer65]

19. Nah. There's no such thing as global climate change.

It's all a hoax.:sarcasm:

My heart goes to the people of Wisconsin, tonite. :cry: :hug:

[progressoid]

21. Yep - it's all cyclical.

According to Glenn Beck

[ProfessorGAC]

23. Saw A Video Of The Back Third Of A House Collapsing Into. . .

. . .the lake as the water rushed out into the river. Racine is under water too!
The Professor