Flood — Racine, Wisconsin

2011-09-26 · near Ives Grove, Racine, Wisconsin

Event narrative

Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding of a construction zone on the west frontage road of I-94 between STH 20 and CTH C. A 76-year-old Dousman man died when his car stalled in the flood waters after driving into a flooded ditch in the construction zone. The preliminary cause of death was from a heart attack and hypothermia, suffered when the victim apparently tried to leave the marooned car and walk for help. His body was found in the flood water about 100 yards from his car.

Wider weather episode

Showers and thunderstorms associated with a cut-off upper low that stalled over northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin produced up to 3 inches of rain across parts of southern Wisconsin over a 48-hour period ending the morning of September 26th...with between 1.5 and 2 inches falling in the last 24 hours of that two-day period. The heavy rains flooded low-lying areas and ditches across the region, with standing water 3 to 4 feet deep in some locations. A 76-year-old man died of a heart attack and hypothermia after his car became stalled after he drove into a flooded construction zone in Racine County.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (42.7402, -87.9839)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 348494. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.