Flash flooding in the Upper Midwest was blamed for at least one death in Wisconsin. The officials are assessing the damage caused by flash floods that left washed-out roads and sinkholes. Flood warnings were issued for potential rainfall rate amounts up to 2 inches per hour.
The Ashland County Sheriff's Office said they recovered a body of a 75-year-old man about 60 feet from his pickup truck in a ditch along a flooded road on Sunday in White River. His identity has not been released.
The officials confirmed that the death was flood-related and the investigation was ongoing. The National Weather Service (NSW) has issued a flood warning through Thursday for northwestern Wisconsin and neighbouring places in Minnesota.
Michigan's Upper Peninsula was lashed with rains up to 7 inches causing similar flooding. Chunks of concrete and asphalt covered with debris were washed away on some Michigan roads. At least 60 sinkholes were reported between the Houghton and Hancock areas. Some of the residents used boats to get around, but the US Coast Guard warned people to stay out of recreational waterways due to the storm debris.
Governor Rick Snyder declared a disaster for the Houghton and Menominee counties after the damage due to floods.
A statement released by Snyder's office said, "I appreciate the dedication of our state and local emergency response teams and volunteers who have been working diligently to protect the public health and safety of our residents affected by this severe flooding. This declaration will ensure additional state resources are available so that damages can be repaired as quickly as possible."
