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Ice jams cause concern in Cedarburg

Posted at 6:59 PM, Jan 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-24 20:06:33-05

The incoming winter weather could add to issues along the Milwaukee River in Ozaukee County. There’s a flood warning in Cedarburg because of an ice jam.

Ice jams along the Milwaukee River in Cedarburg aren't uncommon; they just usually come in the spring. With snow in the forecast, emergency managers worry the buildup could lead to more flooding.

Thousands of ice chunks are already jammed together due to the recent warm up. Some pieces are mere inches from the bottom of a bridge along the highway. Several nearby fields and drainage areas have turned into flooded swamps.

"If we get some more rain and water here it's going to be a bit dicey," said Cedarburg resident Dale Wegner.

Ozaukee County Emergency Manager Scott Ziegler said that's the last thing they need.

"If the water continues to back up in those areas we could have some road closures or water getting close to some homes," he said.

At this point, Ziegler says the ice jam isn't enough of an issue to take action.

"They just need to pay attention," he said.

Ziegler warns local residents not to walk out onto the icy river. Ice was seen floating downstream on several occasions Tuesday afternoon.

Be sure and try our new SNOWCAST APP! It is the "snow equivalent to STORM SHIELD" - a great new product that gives you high resolution snow forecasts for any part of the nation! It has just been introduced for iPhones, but we are working on the Android version! Just search SNOWCAST in the App Store or click here.