From submerged sculptures to collapsed public roadways, communities throughout southeastern Wisconsin are bearing the costs of historic rainfall this week.

Civic Media correspondents Jennie Brand, Dan Shafer and Stuart J. Wattles were on hand to witness it.

Water gushes in Waukesha

On Tuesday, gushing waters along the Fox River in historic downtown Waukesha showed no signs of slowing down.

Caution tape wraps a riverside tree as floodwaters overrun paths along the riverwalk.
Jennie Brand / Civic Media

Multiple bridges and surrounding roads remained closed to traffic, leaving the usually lively pathway accessible only on foot. Yellow tape hugged the riverbank, warning onlookers to stay away from pedestrian bridges and River Walk ramps still threatened by the cresting river.

Traffic barrels closed off Bryant Bridge, a pedestrian bridge. Jennie Brand / Civic Media

Teenagers fishing off Barstow Street Bridge. Jennie Brand / Civic Media

Some residents carried on with their day. Teenagers fished off the Barstow Street bridge; others rode bicycles on accessible sections of the walkway. Most made their way to the area to capture photos and videos of their own.

Flood levels of the Fox River underneath the bridge have been flirting with historic highs, according to data from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Floodwaters near Barstow Street Bridge reached 8.58 feet on Monday, just shy of a historic high of 8.8 feet in 2008.

Residents observe rising waters swell as new storm looms on the horizon.
Jennie Brand / Civic Media

Areas of the walkway closest to the river remain littered with debris as water engulfed the city’s treasured Three Bronze Bears sculptures. Usually set on dry land, the bears now look like they’re fishing for food and served as a stark visual indicator of the river’s rise since it experienced historic rainfall on Aug. 9.

Totals from flash flooding in Waukesha County exceeded 7 to 10 inches, according to the Wisconsin State Climatology Office.

Sculptures on the Fox River Walk barely visible as water crests their banks.
Jennie Brand / Civic Media

— Jennie Brand

Roads give way near Menomonee Falls

Nearby in Menomonee Falls on Tuesday, two roads had collapsed from the flooding. In one instance, one road collapsed underneath a driver, reports WISN 12.

Road collapse near Lilly Road and Good Hope Road. Jennie Brand / Civic Media

Heavy rain leaving a sunken road in shambles. Jennie Brand / Civic Media

— Jennie Brand

In Germantown, residents evacuate (voluntarily)

Twenty-five minutes northeast of Waukesha on Tuesday, there’s an unlikely sight in Germantown: a firetruck spraying more water into the floodwaters.

They were doing so to move the water into the street, so it could re-enter downtream. Floods made some roads impassable, but it didn’t stop determined drivers from grabbing lunch in the Arby’s drive-thru.

As for how long the flood would last? At least several days, said Fire Chief John McLain during a press conference outside the Comfort Inn & Suites.

“The last time we had any major flooding was in 1997, but a lot has changed since then,” he added.

The police department was conducting welfare checks on homes in the Riversbend Circle subdivision, and people entering needed to prove that they were residents.

In the flooded portion of the subdivision, residents were encouraged, but not required, to evacuate. Just south of the subdivision are several chain restaurants, a gas station, an office building and a Comfort Inn, many of which were closed or had entrances and exits blocked as the city managed the flood waters, which stretched across County Line Road, just west of Interstate 41.

The deepest waters were near a corner of Riversbend Ln. and County Line Road, near a Panda Express.

Much of the vehicle traffic was being directed away from the area, and while warm temperatures and sunny weather was keeping some paved surfaces dry, several inches of pooled, standing water covered many of the roads and parking lots over several blocks.

— Dan Shafer

Debris builds up in Wauwatosa

In Wauwatosa on Monday, a day after the Menomonee River here reached a flood level of more than 14.5 feet, debris was piling up and the Menomonee River was still rushing at near-record levels in Wauwatosa Village.

Two people were rescued after falling into the Menomonee River, while trying to rescue a dog. The dog lived.

County Executive Paul Farrow declared a State of Emergency, and residents were directed to a disaster information page.

Debris was still piling up on Monday. Dan Shafer/ Civic Media.

An “unheard of” number of calls in Milwaukee

In Milwaukee on Monday, Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski told The Maggie Daun Show that the nonstop, heavy rain far exceeded forecasts, forcing his department to completely change the way it operates.

Firefighters and rescuers handled over 600 calls between 8pm Saturday and 7am on Sunday, something that Lipski says was “unheard of.”

In Milwaukee on Sunday, Milwaukee County Executive
David Crowley had declared a State of Emergency, reports Stuart J. Wattles.

Milwaukee flooding resources:

The Red Cross is operating shelters at Holler Park (5151 S. Sixth St.) and Washington Park Senior Center (4420 W. Vliet St.) to help those forced from their homes.

The city’s Department of Public Works has made two drop-off centers, located at 3879 W Lincoln Ave and North: 6660 NIndustrial Road, free-of-charge through Sunday, August 17. They are open 7am through 3pm.

Residents can report flooding, stranded vehicles, downed trees or limbs, traffic or street light outages, and other issues by calling 414-286-CITY or visiting milwaukee.gov/Click4Action.

Flooding near Brookfield highlights local flood management initiatives

In the Village of Elm Grove near Brookfield on Sunday, Underwood Creek was overflowing.

Flood management had been on the minds of Elm Grove residents before this week. Last fall, voters here approved a referendum to “daylight” the creek, as part of flood management plans.

This article included contributions from Jennie Brand, Dan Shafer, Stuart J. Wattles, and editing assistance from Chali Pittman.

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In photos: Flooding in southeastern Wisconsin