CNN: Wisconsin levee fails; 100 homes could be affected

(CNN) — As many as 100 homes could be affected by flood waters in Wisconsin due to the failure of a 120-year-old sand levee along the Wisconsin River.

The levee, near the city of Portage in Columbia County, began to give way Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service’s Milwaukee/Sullivan office.

Patrick Beghin, a representative of the Columbia County Emergency Operations Center, confirmed to CNN Monday Morning that the levee had in fact failed.

“Once the levee completely fails ... it is unknown how far south the flood waters of the Wisconsin River will travel,” the weather agency said Sunday night.

The levee is located on the south side of the Wisconsin River, just south of Portage. The weather agency urged residents to move to higher ground. Roadways, including parts of Interstate 39, could close.