NEW LONDON, Wis. (WFRV) – Amid severe flooding that could get worse, New London city officials are asking folks who live in low-lying spots in the area to evacuate their homes.
City officials said that because of the severity of the flooding, they can’t guarantee the safety of people who ignore the evacuation recommendation. A sheriff deputy said that the Wolf River is at about 10 feet right now and may rise a few more feet between now and the weekend.
As of Wednesday afternoon, city officials closed both bridges in New London that go over the Wolf River. There are several other bridges in the area that are impassable because of flooding.
The Red Cross has set up a public emergency shelter at the Washington Center Gym in New London. It’s located at 500 W. Washington Street.
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“I don’t think in my lifetime, and I’m going to be 63 years old pretty soon, I don’t think I’ve seen this type of flooding in this area,” Denise Clumpner, who grew up in New London, told Local 5 News.
Clumpner was in town to check on her mother-in-law. She said she stopped by the river to see how bad things were.
A stack of sandbags protects Johnny’s Little Shop of Bait from the water that surrounds it. The store sits on the banks of the Wolf River in New London.
The shop’s owner John Faucher said that miraculously, the sandbags have kept most of the water out of the store, and so far, he hasn’t lost any inventory. He said they began putting the sandbags in place on Friday and have reinforced the sandbag wall over the last couple of days.
He said he’s extremely grateful to the community for stepping up to help him with the sandbags.
“This is the most wonderful city, this is why I came back to live here after college,” he told Local 5 News. “Worst (flooding) I’ve seen in 53 years of being alive, but neighbors are coming together and helping each other, and we’ll get through it.”
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Hundreds of people came together on Wednesday to fill sandbags together. The local school bused in students throughout the day, and students also came after school to help out. The city is giving these sandbags out for free to anybody in the community who needs them.
“It comes back to teamwork, it’s a community thing, if we rely on each other, we help each other, that shows the strength of the community,” New London High School principal Riley Schussler told Local 5 News.
The city is looking for volunteers on Thursday to fill, tie, and stack sandbags. Those interested should go to Hatten Stadium in New London starting at 8 a.m.
