Between Saturday, August 9 and Sunday, August 10, southeastern Wisconsin was drenched in as much as 14 inches of water.
Late Saturday evening, a flash flood warning was dispatched from the National Weather Service. It extended from midnight until 5:00 a.m. on Sunday and advised residents that it was “A dangerous and life threatening situation”, and warned residents not to attempt to travel unless fleeing.
Certain areas did receive evacuation orders, such as the neighborhood of Hunter Rd. and Foxcroft Ln. in the city of Waukesha. A bus was sent to the scene to help safely move residents out of the area. Later, the fire department would have to use boats due to flooding impacting streets.
A major flood warning was also issued for the Fox River.
At 2 a.m. on Monday, August 11, the river had risen to 7.77 feet. It is expected to rise to between 8.2 and 8.4 feet, although forecasts have stated that it may rise as high as 8.8 feet.
According to Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow, the county received about 1,700 calls for dispatch starting late on Saturday.
As of 10 a.m. on Monday, August 11, there is an ongoing flood warning for the Menomonee River in Menomonee Falls.
A section of Lily Road collapsed just north of Good Hope Road in Menomonee Falls.
Areas including Wauwatosa and West Allis were also hit particularly hard. Residents reported basements and parking garages almost entirely flooding. Hart Park and the Wauwatosa East Football field were covered in inches of standing water.
The Wisconsin State Fair was forced to shutter its doors early on Saturday evening as massive storms blew into the area. Photos emerged showing parking areas and entrance tunnels filling with rushing water. The Fair would eventually make the decision to close on Sunday, which would have been its final day of operation for 2025.
The storm system moved very slowly, and clouds seemed to stall and remain in place for several hours at a time. Local sewer and storm water systems were overwhelmed by the rapid rainfall, leading to widespread flooding in streets and homes.
Late on Sunday, August 10, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers dispatched the National Guard to assist Milwaukee County in the aftermath of the flooding. Evers did not extend that order to Waukesha County, however.
