MANAWA (NBC 26) — A severe rainstorm hit Manawa in early July, bringing floods, evacuations, and the destruction of a central landmark. Today, the floodwaters are gone but the impact remains.
- The City of Manawa experienced city-wide flooding as a result of a major rainstorm
- The Manawa Millpond overflowed, causing a breach of Manawa Dam
- What remains is the dam's husk and a pit with a narrow river where the pond once sat
- City officials know they want to bring the pond back, but must weigh their options in order to do so
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story, with additional details for the web.)
On July 5th, a powerful storm hit the small city of Manawa ...
Pressure from flood water eroded earth along the Manawa Dam, sending millions of gallons of water downstream.
People were forced to evacuate.
"Have you ever seen anything like this in person?" I asked Ryan Richeson, an onlooker who watched the water surge out of the pond.
"No, not in person," said Richeson. "I mean you always see these things on TV, but never in person. This is crazy."
Homes were flooded and so was the Lindsay Athletic Park. Luckily, no one was seriously injured or killed.
The millpond, however, is gone. City workers had to remove dam blockers to prevent even worse flooding while the rains were still pummeling the city.
"Fishing was a big thing and our, obviously, pontoon that we wanted is just sitting there. It's S.S. Minnow now: marooned," said neighbor Heather Whalbruck, referencing the 1960's television show Gilligan's Island.
Whalbruck says the house was her "dream home" because of the waterfront view. That waterfront is now gone.
"I don't know. I mean, I love my house, so I'm not going to just sell it just because of the water," she says. "But that was literally the main attraction to it."
More than 16 years ago, Lake Delton in central Wisconsin also disappeared after flood pressure destroyed an embankment, draining the lake.
Along Delton, homes were destroyed and the economy was hit hard. But over the years, Lake Delton's community built back.
Manawa, now weeks after the disaster, plans to do the same.
"I move that we move forward with trying to essentially reestablish the millpond close or to the level that it was before," Third Ward Alderman Jim Roenz proclaimed at the city's most recent council meeting.
A city council united to get it done.
"All in favor, state by saying 'I'." [Council says "I."] "Any opposed? Motion carried," said Manawa Mayor Mike Frazier.
The council says they don't have a timeline yet, know how much it will cost, or if they can even fund it.
But, as the city waits to learn if it can receive relief from the state, Mayor Frazier says he's proud of his little city's resilience so far.
"This is Wisconsin. This is what makes a small community great," said Frazier.
Because he knows they want to built back from this devastating day.
Despite everything that has happened, the city says there is one thing they are excited about: Manawa's 150th birthday, from August 1st-3rd.
They hope to raise funds to rebuild what was lost to flooding and to celebrate the city's continued resilience.
