New London Flood Recovery: City Begins Long Road to Rebuild After Historic Flooding

New London, Wisconsin is beginning its recovery from historic flooding that inundated the city for nearly a week, with downtown reopening to the public as of noon on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

The city implemented its post-flooding re-entry plan, allowing access to the downtown area via Shawano Street from the north and the Pearl Street bridge from the south. Signs of life returned to the streets as businesses began to reopen and residents resumed normal activities after days of disruption.

While downtown has reopened, certain areas remain restricted. The neighborhood west of Shawano Street, between North Street and North Water Street, is still flooded and accessible only to residents and authorized personnel assisting with cleanup operations. The sole entry and exit point to this zone is at the intersection of Shawano Street and Waupaca Street, where vehicles are processed at a checkpoint staffed by city personnel.

At the checkpoint, all adult occupants in vehicles are photographed along with their identification and/or vehicle license plate before an “entry pass” is issued. Vehicles may only enter traveling south on Shawano Street from Waupaca Street and must exit going south on Shawano Street from the same intersection. The Shawano Street bridge remains closed, and North Water Street is inaccessible from County S.

Despite the ongoing challenges, recovery efforts are underway. The New London Area Chamber Foundation announced a partnership with the city to establish a dedicated flood relief fund, with 100% of donations directed to residents, businesses, and nonprofit organizations affected by the flooding to support recovery, and rebuilding.

Local business owners have begun adapting to the aftermath. Some, like Miguel Hernandez of El Tequila New London, are operating limited services from food trucks while working to restore their establishments. Others, such as Robin Frei of Wolf River Lawyers, have relocated belongings to higher floors to protect property and client files from future water damage.

City officials emphasized that the re-entry plan is designed to safeguard the welfare and property of residents by restricting access to flooded areas to only those necessary for cleanup operations. As of Wednesday, New London students and staff had also returned to in-person learning, marking another step toward normalcy.