Wisconsin, 2002

Flash Flooding in Wisconsin, June 22, 2002

June 22, 2002 · NWS MKX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

At least 3 lines of thunderstorms with heavy rains sagged south into the northern parts of Marquette and Green Lake counties during the overnight hours. Individual thunderstorm cells trained west to east, ultimately resulting in flash flooding which caused gravel shoulder washouts on some roads as well as road closures.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$20,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS MKX wrote it up.

At least 3 lines of thunderstorms with heavy rains sagged south into the northern parts of Marquette and Green Lake counties during the overnight hours. Individual thunderstorm cells trained west to east, ultimately resulting in flash flooding which caused gravel shoulder washouts on some roads as well as road closures. WSR-88D Doppler radar estimated that 5 to 6 inches of rain fell between 2100CST on August 21st through about 0300CST on August 22nd. Further north, 8 to 15 inches were reported in parts of Juneau, Adams, Waushara, Wood, and Portage counties! Refer to the StormData reports produced by WFO La Crosse and WFO Green Bay for detailed flash flood information for central and northeastern Wisconsin, respectively.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Milwaukee, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 22, 2:52 AM CST, 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 22, 2:52 AM CST, 8 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
352 AM CDT SAT JUN 22 2002

FCST FOCUS ON PCPN ENDING AND TEMPS/HEAT INDICES FOR THE WEEKEND.

BAND OF HEAVY RAIN OVR NRN CWA IS DISSIPATING AS WAA PATTERN IS
PROGGED TO LIFT NORTH ALONG WITH SFC WMFNT TODAY. MAIN BAND OF
WESTERLIES TO REMAIN JUST NORTH OF CANADIAN BORDER WITH WMFNT
BECOMING STATIONARY OVR NRN WI THROUGH MON. ETA FCST SOUNDINGS
INDICATE MID LEVEL CAPPING MOVING INTO CWA LATE THIS AFTERNOON WITH
STRONG CAP EXPECTED TO HOLD THROUGH MONDAY.

WARM SECTOR COMPRISES OF 576 THICKNESS THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.
AWAY FROM LAKE MICHIGAN TODAY...EXPECT DEWPOINTS TO REMAIN IN LOW 70S
WITH HEAT INDICES AROUND 100. SOME INDICATION THAT DEWPOINTS
MAY DROP OF SEVERAL DEGREES SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH THE ARRIVAL OF A
MUCH DRIER AIRMASS JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE.

.MKX...NONE.

GEHRING

The radar

The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 117 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:59 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Marquette

When
June 22, 3:00 AM CST to 5:00 AM CST
Where
Marquette County, 6 mi WSW of Neshkoro
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.820, -89.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Green Lake

When
June 22, 3:00 AM CST to 5:00 AM CST
Where
Green Lake County, 5 mi W of Fairburn
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.800, -89.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, June 2002

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5303081, 5303082.