Wisconsin State Fair Park, where the state’s fair is held, was forced to close early on Saturday due to flooding. The state fair announced on Sunday that it will not reopen for the day’s events.
“We understand the disappointment you may feel as our team works all year for these 11 days,” the statement, posted to Facebook, read. “However, the safety of our Fairgoers, team, partners, and vendors will always be our top priority.”
Millions under flood alerts
The storms had around 14 million people from Kansas to Wisconsin are under flood alerts this weekend.
The storms in the Midwest were due to “an environment that features a battleground between cool and dry air to the north and west and plenty of moisture and instability to the south and east,” the National Weather Service said.
A flood watch for Milwaukee was set to last until 7 a.m. Monday, and the weather service said that flash flooding from excessive rainfall continues to be possible.
In the Plains, a “slow-moving, nearly stationary frontal boundary” will create a risk of thunderstorms and heavy downpours, the weather service said Sunday. The states most at risk were Colorado, Kansas, northeastern New Mexico, western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle, the agency said.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley declared a state of emergency following over 10 inches of rain and widespread flooding.
“There are thousands and thousands of people in Milwaukee that are dealing with the aftermath of the flooding that happened overnight,” Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said at a news conference Sunday.
Johnson said that the flooding, in which some places of the city reported over a foot of rain, was “something that Milwaukee hasn’t seen in perhaps a decade or more.”
The USA Triathlon in Milwaukee announced that the sprint and paratriathlon nationals scheduled to be held on Sunday have been canceled due to “the combination of potential water conditions, flooding and course damage throughout the course, limited emergency response teams to support the event, as well as impending weather for Sunday.”
“We know how much time, training, and anticipation you’ve invested in this event, and we share your disappointment,” USA Triathlon said in a statement. “This was not the outcome any of us wanted. We will follow up soon with more details about next steps, including deferral and credit options.”
