WAUPACA COUNTY (NBC 26) — Multiple roads remain closed and covered in water in downtown New London and surrounding areas as residents face nearly a week of flooding.
Water levels in Fremont are expected to hit their peak sometime Monday or Tuesday, Waupaca County Emergency Management Director Zac Van Asten said.
Officials and first responders are going door to door asking residents to leave for higher ground, as the only way in and out of town on the west end is at risk of being washed away.
"If you’re willing to get to high ground, please do,” Van Asten said. “Get out now before that road washes away.”
Van Asten emphasized that while evacuations aren’t mandatory, they are strongly encouraged to ensure safety. The longer people wait, he said, the more difficult a rescue operation to reach them becomes.
“Things are getting increasingly harder and more difficult,” he said. “Our hope is by tomorrow or the next day we’ll see a lot of this calmed down."
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Currently, about 30 first responders are working in Fremont, and additional help was called in on April 19. Officials are urging people who don’t live in the flooded areas to stay away so crews can focus their attention on rescue operations.
Van Asten said the plan is to focus resources on Fremont as it crests, then shift to the rebuilding stage. WE Energies is working on a plan to restore power; homes without water damage will be restored more quickly than those that need damage assessment first.
The flooding has impacted multiple communities:
- New London: Water peaked on Sunday and is expected to gradually recede. Access remains severely limited, with only one route usable.
- Fremont: Expected to crest within the next day or two before waters begin to fall.
- Shiocton: Water levels are slowly declining, down an estimated 8 inches
- Big Falls: Dam remains secure
- Manawa: Wastewater treatment plan remains secure and water levels have dropped about a foot.
Residents like Phil Peterson in Fremont, one of the hardest-hit areas, shared with NBC26 what it takes to just go home.
“I can drive about two blocks from there, then I have to put my waders on to wade through the water to get to my house to check on, make sure my sump pumps are going,” Peterson said.
Authorities continue to urge residents to follow the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management Facebook pages for the most up-to-date information.
