Experts concerned about flooding in Waukesha County

WAUKESHA CO. (WITI) -- With a considerable warm up in recent temperatures, many are concerned with spring flooding -- large amounts of melting snow need somewhere to go.

"High temperatures and a significant amount of rainfall is what we don't want," said Gary Bell with Waukesha Emergency Preparedness. "Every community has certain areas that are susceptible to flooding."

Bell and Bill Stolte assist cities and communities in Waukesha County in obtaining necessities during emergencies, including flooding situations. The men have an upcoming meeting with the National Weather Service.

"Coordination with the weather service and prediction centers on what we are looking at in the terms of flooding and potential flooding for the spring and certainly looking at their weather forecasts," said Stolte.

Although most residents are wishing for warmer temps immediately, Stolte and Bell are hoping for a slow and steady warm up. A harsh winter and heavy snow have left a deep frost in the ground.

"The soil is frozen solid. There's no saturation point there, so any melting or rain water will have to find a low point to run off to," explained Bell. "There's no place for it to go right now because of the frozen conditions of the land."

Experts say Waukesha County is slightly at risk for flooding, but the situation is about as fluid as the weather itself.

The meeting with the National Weather Service is scheduled for next week and will include eight counties in southeastern Wisconsin.