Wisconsin residents have been told to flee amid “imminent” collapse of the Manawa Dam.
Authorities warned that the amount of water in the dam is unsafe and that people living along the Little Wolf River should evacuate immediately.
Residents have been asked to seek higher ground as part of the dam has been affected and has sustained significant damage.
It is unclear how many residents of the town of 1,400 have been forced to flee.
“Due to the amount of water, the dam is not safe. If you are downstream, EVACUATE. The bridge is closed,” Manawa police said in a statement on Facebook.
A flood emergency has been declared in Manawa, Waupaca County, as thunderstorms in the area bring heavy rain.
Wisconsin residents told to flee over ‘imminent’ collapse of Manawa Dam
A flood emergency has been declared for Manawa in Waupaca County as thunderstorms bring heavy rain to the area
Images from the dam show water flowing quickly and threatening to overflow its banks.
Part of it was inundated by floodwaters around 1:45 p.m. and people living downstream were evacuated.
At around 8:30am heavy rain began in the area, with 13cm of rain falling in a few hours, prompting a flash flood warning.
Several streets in the area are flooded and several cars are stuck on the highway.
The city has warned residents to expect more flooding in streets and gardens everywhere.
Meteorologist Scott Cultice said: ‘The rain continued to fall in and around the Manawa area.
‘They had water rescues. Most of the roads in downtown were flooded.
“We just can’t get the rain to go away. It just doesn’t move, it stays still.”
All roads into Manawa have been blocked and people have been told not to drive in or around the town.
Several streets in the area are flooded and several cars are stuck on the highway
A flood emergency has been declared for Manawa in Waupaca County as thunderstorms bring heavy rain to the area
“Please do not attempt to drive into or around the city,” the city said in a statement. “Vehicles are swamped on the roads around the city. Union Street is flooded.
‘N. Bridge Street is flooded. Beech Street is washed away. Howard Street is flooded. Industrial Drive is flooded.’
“Because of the amount of rain we’re getting … there’s going to be flooding in the streets and gardens. It’s all over the city.”
All fire departments in the country are busy combating the incident.
An emergency shelter has been set up for the residents of Little Wolf Junior/Senior High School.
The weather service warned that rain and possibly thunderstorms are possible over the weekend and early next week.
DailyMail.com has contacted Manawa police for comment.