National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan

Series: Extreme Precipitation And Wisconsin's Climate

Climate change is already beginning to affect Wisconsin in subtle but important ways. As the average global temperature creeps upward, climatologists have projected that the upper Midwest will experience heavier precipitation. This shift means not just a greater volume of water in the form of rain or snow, but also more intense storms happening more frequently. While climate change on its own isn't necessarily the culprit behind a given storm, its effects can intensify existing weather patterns and make long-running climatic cycles more unpredictable. While researchers work to understand how climate change interacts with seasonal cycles like El Niño and how human activities affect the outcome of catastrophic floods, communities across the state face new challenges protecting people, infrastructure and their economy.
 
Series: Extreme Precipitation And Wisconsin's Climate
Series: Climate Science And Wisconsin

The Outsized Impact Small Streams Have On Lake Superior

Kaley Fech
Great Lakes Echo
Very little is known about the smallest tributaries that flow into Lake Superior.
Series: Extreme Precipitation And Wisconsin's Climate

Lessons From A Deluge In The Driftless

Keefe Keeley
Wisconsin People & Ideas
People often recount the floods in living memory. August 2018 will be remembered for record-breaking floods that brought devastation throughout the Driftless Area.
Series: Extreme Precipitation And Wisconsin's Climate
Series: Climate Science And Wisconsin

The 'New Normal' Of Erratic Water Levels On The Great Lakes

Drew Gronewold
University of Michigan
Richard B. Rood
University of Michigan
As recently as 2013, water levels on most of the Great Lakes were very low. But since 2014 the issue has been too much water, not too little.
Series: Extreme Precipitation And Wisconsin's Climate

Washed Away: Northwest Wisconsin Copes With The Costs Of A Changing Climate

Will Cushman
WisContext
Massive rainstorms hit northwest Wisconsin in 2012, 2016 and 2018, causing tens of millions of dollars in flood damage to public infrastructure. Local officials responsible for rebuilding hope they're able to make improvements to withstand more big storms when they come.
Series: Extreme Precipitation And Wisconsin's Climate
Series: Climate Science And Wisconsin

Calculating Flood Risk In 'The Least-Climate-Adapted Spot In The Country'

Rachael Vasquez
Wisconsin Public Radio
One of the first environmental scientists in northwest Wisconsin to raise concerns about how prepared the region was for more intense flooding is Randy Lehr.
Series: Extreme Precipitation And Wisconsin's Climate

The Costs Of Extreme Storms Come Into Focus Across Wisconsin, US

Will Cushman
WisContext
The issue of too much water in too short a time is contributing to mounting budgetary and, in some cases, existential crises for communities of all sizes around Wisconsin and the United States.
Series: Extreme Precipitation And Wisconsin's Climate

Hayward Weighs The Risks And Costs Of The Next Deluge

Will Cushman
WisContext
The city of Hayward owes its existence to the waters and woods of northern Wisconsin, but the same geography that sparked and sustained the community's growth likewise heralds an emerging menace to its future.
Series: Extreme Precipitation And Wisconsin's Climate

Bayfield County Pursues Flood Resiliency To Protect Its Economy

Will Cushman
WisContext
As a result of repeated catastrophic flooding, Bayfield County has been proactive in upgrading culverts and bridges and tracking down new sources of funding.
Series: Extreme Precipitation And Wisconsin's Climate

When Big Storms Inundate Wisconsin, How Could Wetlands 'Slow The Flow'?

Will Cushman
WisContext
The connection between Wisconsin's rivers and the wetlands that feed them has become increasingly tenuous. Its consequences for human communities come into clearer focus when heavy rains transform streams and rivers into forces of wanton destruction.
Series: Extreme Precipitation And Wisconsin's Climate

Reengineering Infrastructure For A Wetter Wisconsin

J. Carlisle Larsen
Wisconsin Public Radio
Over the last few years, bridges and roads have washed away during flash floods across Wisconsin. But how can engineers tackle the problem in order to prevent this kind of infrastructure damage in the future?