High lake levels are making it harder for Madison's storm sewers to keep streets clear, although city engineers say major street flooding is unlikely.

When lake water and sewer water are at the same level, it is more difficult for water to flow from the streets through the sewers into the lakes, said Greg Fries with the city's engineering division. Crews were out Friday clearing debris from sewer grates in an effort to help water flow faster.

Record-breaking snowfall last winter and heavy rain this spring have caused lake levels to rise dramatically. Lake Mendota is about one foot higher than its normal summer maximum, and Lake Monona is two feet over its normal summer maximum. Thursday's and Friday's storms added to this total, Fries said.

Although there's a chance for rain today and drainage systems are not operating as efficiently as engineers would like, major flooding is unlikely, city engineers said.

"If the storms are heavier than predicted, if we get an inch of water in a very short amount of time, then there could be some localized street-level flooding," said city engineer Larry Nelson.

If flooding does occur, it will most likely affect only low-lying areas and neighborhoods close to lakes, marshes and other water sources. Some areas that could be affected include Monona, Midvale Boulevard, parts of the Near East Side, Shorewood Hills, the Eagle Heights area, locations around Cherokee Marsh and areas around Warner Park.

Residents are much more likely to have problems with standing water in their yards or with ground water collecting in basements than with street flooding, said Mike Dailey, principal engineer with the city. In a normal year, the city gets only 10 to 20 complaints about these problems. This season, because of heavy rain, it has received 50 to 100 complaints since June, he said.

Residents are encouraged to clear debris from storm sewers to prevent blocked drains, said Madison recycling director George Dreckmann. Flooded sewers should be reported to 608-266-4430.