Severe storms across the Midwest triggered flash flooding in Milwaukee Wednesday night, forcing closures on Interstate 43 and stranding vehicles in rising water. The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office reported southbound lanes near the Mitchell Interchange were closed, with northbound lanes expected to follow. Emergency crews conducted water rescues as heavy rain overwhelmed drainage systems.

Milwaukee, situated along Lake Michigan, faced a flash flood warning from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. as forecasters predicted up to two inches of rain in hours. The storms are part of a week-long pattern affecting areas from Texas to the Great Lakes, including tornadoes in Kansas that damaged 100 buildings and levee breaches in Michigan forcing evacuations.

While Thursday brings calmer conditions to the Midwest, forecasters warn of renewed severe weather Friday, with Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas and Oklahoma at highest risk. The repeated storm systems highlight growing infrastructure vulnerabilities as climate-driven extreme weather events become more frequent and intense.