State Highway 47-55 in downtown Keshena was closed Tuesday due to increased flooding, a day after the Menominee Indian tribe and Menominee County issued an emergency disaster declaration.
Ice jams along the Wolf River have caused the flooding problems.
Shawano County Highway Department workers began placing signs at Main and Green Bay streets in downtown Shawano Tuesday afternoon notifying drivers of the closures in Keshena.
Traffic in the downtown Keshena area will be open only to local traffic.
Floodwaters have covered most of the intersection at Highway 47-55 and County Road VV for the past 24 hours and have steadily risen.
The National Weather Service, meanwhile, has extended a flood warning in Keshena through noon Wednesday.
“We are working with a number of agencies to get the water off the roadway and re-open it,” said Ben Warrington, the tribe’s emergency management coordinator.
Reports of flooding began Thanksgiving week and have continued despite efforts by several agencies to address the problem, which has been blamed on ice jams created by frazil ice.
Officials said frazil ice is a buildup of loose, needle-shaped ice crystals. It resembles slush and is the first step in the formation of river ice.
“Homes and businesses in the area continue to be adversely affected, and the tribe and county are continuing efforts to mitigate the situation,” officials said in a joint statement released Monday by the tribe and county.
Brian Kelley, owner of Bait and Tackle, said his business along County Road VV faces an uncertain future because of the flooding.
The road was closed Sunday due to flooding between Highway 47-55 and Blacksmith Road.
“I am not able to run (the store) because it is covered in water. Unfortunately, I do not know what else to do,” Kelley said Monday.
Kelley said he hopes the business, which has been at that location for four years, is salvageable, but time will tell.
“I believe the property can still be used, but it depends on how long the water will stay,” he said. “My next option is to find employment.”
Officials say the problem with frazil ice is larger than they expected, extending north from the ice dam crews busted up Friday to Fairgrounds Road.
Menominee tribal officials assessed one of the ice jams Sunday and concluded it was larger than anticipated.
“At this time, with the amount of frazil ice found, it is unrealistic to reduce or alleviate the ice jam blockage with either mechanical or other means,” the agencies’ statement said Monday.
The statement also said warmer weather could help reduce the frazil ice jam, but conditions are favorable for worsening of the ice in the upcoming week.
Shawano County emergency management personnel are assisting Menominee officials with alleviating pressure along the Wolf River, which includes the opening of the Balsam Row dam and Shawano dam near Sturgeon Park to release excess water.
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