Wisconsinites who planned to descend on West Allis for the final weekend of the state fair may find themselves disappointed after potentially dangerous flash floods wracked southeast Wisconsin, leaving thousands without power and causing the final day of the fair to be cancelled.
Photos and videos show state fair attendees wading through water and vehicles that are nearly submerged as a result of the flooding, resulting in an early closure Saturday and for Sunday’s portion of the fair to be cancelled.
“We understand the disappointment you may feel, as our team works all year for these 11 days. However, the safety of our fairgoers, team, partners and vendors will always be our top priority,” State Fair officials said.
The flooding has the potential to uproot thousands of people as some areas received nearly a foot of rain which will cause untold amounts of property damage and leave many without power for an undetermined amount of time.
As of Sunday morning, over 47,000 Wisconsin residents were without power in the aftermath of the floods. (RELATED: Skilled Trades Surge in Wisconsin Amid Manufacturing Revival)
The floods have been just one among many weather-related issues plaguing Wisconsinites this summer as large swaths of the state have been under air quality warnings as a result of smoke emanating from wildfires in Canada.
The floods swept the Midwest this weekend as roughly 14 million people from as far west as Kansas to Wisconsin were under flood warnings, and some areas such as Omaha saw winds as high as 90 mph.
So far, no deaths have been reported but over 60 people have needed to be rescued from floodwaters and state and municipal government officials are estimating that there will be significant property damage. (RELATED: Bizarre Protest Involving a Coffin Hits Wisconsin Lawmaker’s Home)