Emergency officials said heavy rains in the Midwest on Sunday caused flash floods in wide areas, cutting electricity to thousands of households in southeastern Wisconsin.
Flash floods affect half a dozen Midwest states, including Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and require drivers to dump vehicles and multiple water rescues, officials said.
Wisconsin Fair organizers said they are discarding the last day of the 11-day event after rain flooded the Westaris fairgrounds just outside Milwaukee.
“We cannot deliver this final day of the Wisconsin Fair, but we know that this is the best decision on current conditions and future forecasts,” the organizers said in a statement.
The U.S. National Weather Service issued floods and warnings in parts of Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin.
About 18,000 people without power in Wisconsin
Following heavy rain that began Saturday in some areas, forecasters, along with “a round, repeated heavy rain,” damaged the wind on Monday, damaging isolated tornadoes.
According to the National Weather Service, some of the worst hits were the Milwaukee area, with up to 36 centimeters of rain falling in several areas by Sunday.
Some drivers left stuck cars on the road. Around 18,000 WE Energy customers in southeastern Wisconsin were out of power late Sunday. In a village outside Wauwatosa, the overflowing, fast-moving Menomoni River has been submerged into a popular playground.
Firefighters responded to more than 600 calls including gas leaks, flooded basements, electricity outages and water rescues, according to the Milwaukee Fire Department.
And while the crew worked to clean the surface water, the Red Cross opened two shelters in the city for the refugees.
“We’re still in the middle,” Fire Chief Aaron Lipski told reporters Sunday. “We’re still catching up.”
Sprint and Paratriathlon National Championships have been cancelled
In Milwaukee, USA, Triathlon cancelled the Sprint and Paratria Athlon National Championship. The American Family Field parking lot was still closed to cars, but the brewers and Mets still played there.
“Not all fans, even those who have purchased parking in advance, can guarantee that all fans will be parked,” the brewer said in a pre-game statement.
City officials warned residents not to drive or walk in the ocean standing. “It remains dangerous,” the Milwaukee Public Works Department said in a statement.
Tropical Storm Henriett was hoping for, but there was no threat
Meanwhile, the tropical storm Henriette was rapidly strengthened and further strengthened on Sunday, Central Pacific Ocean, but it poses no threat to the land, the National Hurricane Centre said.
The Miami-based center said the storm is located about 720 kph north-northeast of Hiro, Hawaii, with maximum sustained winds of 130 kph.
It was moving northwest to northwest with a course expected to consume it north of the Hawaiian islands over the next few days. The storm was expected to be strengthened until Monday and weakened on Tuesday.
As extreme weather continues throughout the US, more than 30 million people will notify you of the deadly heat this weekend, with some parts of the country already dealing with serious heat and fire weather concerns.
Most of the west, including Phoenix, Arizona and Palm Springs, California, are still warned of extreme heat, with temperatures predicted to rise to the 45°C Celsius mark.
