Battered not broken

COUNTY - A coordinated, round-the-clock emergency response prevented dam failures and saved the Manawa wastewater treatment plant during severe flooding that displaced thousands of residents, Waupaca County Emergency Management Director Zac Van Asten said at a Waupaca County Board of Supervisors meeting last week.

Van Asten said that the flooding is one of the largest incidents Waupaca County has seen since the Weyauwega train derailment, which led to a large-scale evacuation 30 years ago.

The crisis began April 13, when severe rain overpowered local dams and sent water spilling into community streets. At the Marion Dam, which was just nine inches from overflow, crews worked through the night to manually hand-crank the dam gate open and clear debris from the rushing water.

The following morning, Van Asten said he was notified of the imminent failure of Big Falls Dam, which holds back about five million gallons of water.

“If that dam failed, it would affect numerous communities down river,” Van Asten said.

The county coordinated with the Highway Department to bring in fill materials to protect residents and limit property impacts.

“I cannot tell you the amount of work that has gone in a short period of time,” Van Asten said. “We literally erected embankments and dams, and met and worked tirelessly to notify every resident down river.”

Responders were soon diverted to the Manawa wastewater treatment plant on April 15, which was in immediate danger of being flooded. Van Asten said if the plant flooded it would have resulted in an estimated $25 to $35 million loss for the community.

Hundreds of volunteers joined forces with the sheriff’s office, police and highway personnel to build a three-foot protective embankment using sandbags, concrete and gravel. The makeshift barrier held back six feet of water, saving the wastewater plant by inches.

In addition, firefighters had to break up debris coming down river by the Manawa dam, which previously failed in 2024, to keep water flowing.

“We were fighting back a challenge from every direction,” Van Asten said. “I can’t thank the people enough, the support, the people that showed up that day. Numerous fire departments that brought personnel to help get through that situation.”

As the floodwaters moved downriver, the county established northern and southern operational commands to manage the widespread devastation in New London and Fremont.

In New London, the flooding was so severe that responders had to use Department of Natural Resources airboats to navigate the submerged city streets. About 1,600 people were evacuated or assisted and 967 residents had their gas utilities shut off.

Downriver in Fremont, over 400 people were evacuated and had their gas shut off as road closures and sandbagging operations were initiated.

“Looking at the homes that are destroyed and the lives that have changed is something I’ll never forget,” Van Asten said. “But I will tell you that standing here and knowing how strong our county is, that every person that showed up, every department reached out for help, every department offered their help, their service, anything they can do. And that speaks volumes to the people that work and live in this community.”

The scale of the emergency drew national attention, with the National Weather Service involved after being contacted by officials from the White House.

The county has now shifted into a re-entry and operational phase.

“We’re working on getting everyone back into their homes, helping them get through this,” Van Asten said.

Full cleanup and recovery efforts across the county will take years to complete, he said.