Flights Resume at Milwaukee Airport After Storms

Weary travelers who were stranded overnight at a Milwaukee airport began flying out Friday afternoon, one day after powerful storms pounded southeastern Wisconsin and caused widespread flooding that grounded all flights.

Both commercial runways at Mitchell International Airport were covered with water Friday morning. Crews reopened one runway about 1 p.m. and the second a few hours later, airport spokesman Ryan McAdams said.

The worst may not be over. Southern Wisconsin was expected to face another night of flooding and winds late Friday, with the National Weather Service forecasting as much as 5 inches of rain in some areas. Storms were expected to start clearing up Saturday night.

Marlene Wygle, 60, of Green Bay, said she had been eagerly looking forward to her first-ever flight, a trip to San Francisco to watch her son run a marathon Sunday. Her Delta flight was delayed three times, leaving her disappointed but understanding.

"I saw the rain but didn't think it was going to shut down the airport," she said. "But that's OK. I would rather they be cautious than not safe."

Almost 8 inches of rain poured down in just two hours Thursday evening, snarling traffic in and around Milwaukee and causing widespread power outages.

Drainage problems at a downtown Milwaukee intersection caused a giant sink hole about 20 feet deep to tear open, swallowing a Cadillac Escalade. The driver was pulled out safely but the SUV, which had a full tank of gas, continued idling for hours.