Evening Update: Steady rain continues; flood watch, warnings in effect

Updated: 4:45 PM August 14, 2023

A Flash Flood Warning is in effect for parts of Racine and Kenosha county. Reports of flooded streets, stranded cars and backed up drains are causing significant issues in this area. As the rain continues more reports like this are likely with an additional half inch of rain possible. The warning goes until 6:30pm. Please avoid travel if you can in these flooded areas. 

Updated: 3:45 PM August 14, 2023

Rain continues. Rates are still steady for all but our western tier counties. Take a look though some spots back west are now over 3 and 4 inches. 

 Here's a look at the latest radar:  Expect this activity to continue over the next several hours before it starts to become more on and off later this evening and overnight.

Updated: 2:30 PM August 14, 2023

The flooding risk has now shifted closer to the lakefront.  A new flood advisory has been issued for Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha counties until 5:30 pm.

These areas have the potential to receive an additional 1" to 2" of rainfall through the evening.  Localized street flooding will be likely.  Please don't drive through flooded streets.

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Updated: 1:00 p.m. Aug. 14, 2023

Rain continues. I've not said that much this growing season but today will prove to make up for lost time in regards to rainfall. Here's a look at where we are right now for accumulations. 

 You can see Beaver Dam is approaching three inches and there's still the rest of the day where rain is expected to fall.  This is a current look at our radar. Widespread steady to pockets of heavy rain continue. All this activity will slowly work east. We also anticipate some lake enhancement where showers may continue near the shoreline until Tuesday morning albeit isolated at that point. The ongoing forecast is intact with the Flood Watch until 11pm and totals easily in the 1-3" range with isolated higher amounts possible.

Updated: 9:16 a.m. Aug. 14, 2023

A flood watch is now in effect and goes until 11 PM late Monday evening. Rain started rolling into our western counties around 6 AM and has become steady and moderate, especially along and north of I-94. Hometowns south of I-94 are seeing mostly light showers so far this morning. Even after just three hours of rain in western counties we've already seen rain totals in Madison and Beaver Dam surpass 1". With 12 hours or more of rain to go we are talking about a lot of rain. Totals right now are on track to stay in the 1-3" range with isolated locations seeing 4" or 5" of rain. Highest totals likely set up in areas north of I-94.

Even though this is a good drought easing rain, this will not end our rain concerns. The month of August alone is already over an inch below average two weeks into the month and the year is over 2" below-average. Those deficits could be erased with Monday's rain but the rain deficit since the beginning of April is over 7" so we would need two or three of these big rain events to get rid of that deficit. 

Track the rain all day with the CBS 58 Ready Weather app.

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Posted: 6:10 a.m. Aug. 14, 2023

Heavy rain is on the way. Monday will be a soggy, gloomy and wet day. A flood watch has been issued for all of southeast Wisconsin from 7 AM until the late evening hours Monday. Low lying roads, underpasses and freeway construction zones will be the areas most likely to flood. 

Rain showers will start to role in during the early morning with the heaviest and steadiest rain expected from mid-morning through at least late afternoon. Some pockets of heavy rain will be possible lakeside in the evening as well before switching to lingering light showers overnight into the Tuesday morning commute. A few isolated thunderstorms are possible but the heavy rain is the biggest threat Monday with rainfall rates reaching 1" per hour at times.

A widespread 1-3" of rain is expected but some local areas could get as much as 4" or even 5" of rainfall. We could probably handle 1-2" of rain over 12 hours but this big rainfall coming as fast as it could will lead to runoff and flooding concerns. While this rain will help our drought situation, it won't end it.

Download the CBS 58 Ready Weather app to track the rain for Monday and get alerts if flash flood warnings are issued.