2025 Milwaukee flood

On August 9–10, 2025, severe flash floods impacted the U.S. city of Milwaukee and its surrounding areas. The suburb of Wauwatosa was particularly impacted. The floods were the result of an unusual weather system that dropped record-setting rain into the area; it was the second-most recorded rain Milwaukee had ever seen over a two-day period. Major property damages were reported, and the Wisconsin State Fair canceled its final day as a result of flood damage. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers declared a state of emergency to assist in cleanup efforts.

Until August 8, it was not clear that Milwaukee and its surrounding areas would face a large amount of rain.^[1] A cold front became stuck over the region in the face of two other systems, and changing winds led to an increase in humidity and a plethora of thunderstorms impacting a small area.^[1][2] A National Weather Service meteorologist later summarized the situation as a "really bad overlap of circumstances".^[3]

The National Weather Service predicted that the region would receive up to 2 in (51 mm) of rain,^[2] but in the end the area between Milwaukee and Waukesha received between 7 to 10 inches (180 to 250 mm).^[4]

Some local totals were even higher, particularly on Milwaukee's north side and the suburbs beyond; the maximum amount of measured rainfall exceeded the amount of water that the city receives over the course of a typical summer.^[5] 48-hour totals as tabulated by WTMJ-TV included:

• 14.69 in (373 mm) at the James Madison Academic Campus in northwestern Milwaukee^[6][7]
• 12.69 in (322 mm) in Pewaukee^[7]
• 12.05 in (306 mm) in Menomonee Falls^[7]
• 11.51 in (292 mm) in River Hills^[7]
• 10.58 in (269 mm) in Germantown^[7]
• 10.21 in (259 mm) in Colgate^[7]
• 10.10 in (257 mm) in West Bend^[7]
• 10.08 in (256 mm) in Downtown Milwaukee^[7]
• 9.19 in (233 mm) in Port Washington^[7]
• 8.94 in (227 mm) in West Allis^[7]
• 7.55 in (192 mm) in Grafton^[7]
• 6.91 in (176 mm) at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport^[7]

The weather system had previously blown through Kansas and Nebraska, and a total of 14 million people across a swath of US states were put under flood watches.^[8]

The weather event hit the Milwaukee area on the night of August 9, a Saturday when many people were attending a Milwaukee Brewers baseball game or events and concerts at the Wisconsin State Fair, venues both within the flood plains of the Menomonee River, with the fairgrounds built atop of Honey Creek.^[9][10][11] At the latter, major flooding entered the park.^[5] Photos from fairgoers showed people wading through water deep enough to submerge cars.^[11][12] A concert by the classic rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd was canceled.^[10][13] All but one of Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport's runways were flooded, as well as various taxiways and one underpass.^[14] Cars parked within the lower floors of the parking garage of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino also suffered heavy damage.^[15]

In the wider Milwaukee area, hundreds of cars had to be abandoned in rising flood waters.^[13] The Milwaukee Fire Department responded to over 600 calls for assistance, including 65 water rescues.^[16] Basements were flooded across the city,^[16][17] and major property damages were reported.^[18] Homes in one part of the northwestern reaches of Milwaukee were inundated with 2 to 3 feet (0.61 to 0.91 m) of water.^[19] At least 47,000 people were left without power.^[20] The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District started a sewer overflow (sending excess sewage into rivers and lakes) at about 9:55 pm on August 10 to try to ensure that there were no backups into properties.^[12] By August 12, about 1,500 people in Milwaukee County had reported damages, and local officials were encouraging other affected individuals to report their own damages to help the county obtain disaster relief funds from the US federal government.^[21]

Multiple rivers in the region—the Kinnickinnic, Milwaukee, Menominee and Root—crested at record levels.^[22] The Milwaukee River's topping out of 11.19 feet (3.41 m) bested its previous recorded record of 10.48 feet (3.19 m).^[13] In addition, the Fox River in Waukesha reached near-record heights.^[23] Flood warnings for Milwaukee River, Lower Fox River at Waukesha, Menomonee River at Menomonee Falls, the Milwaukee River near Cedarburg, and Cedar Creek at Cedarburg were extended "until further notice" by the National Weather Service on August 12 due to their continued flood stages.^[24] A similar flood warning for the Root River at Franklin in Milwaukee County was set to expire in the afternoon of August 12.^[25]

The village of Wauwatosa was particularly impacted thanks to an overflow of the Menominee River.^[26] Multiple businesses along the river closed due to flooding damage.^[5][27] The village's flagship Hart Park, designed to take on floodwater to protect the village's nearby downtown,^[28] suffered significant damage to a softball field and a stadium where multiple high school football teams play.^[5] The kitchen at Cafe Hollander, a popular restaurant located next to the river, was flooded with 4 feet (1.2 m) of water.^[29] The Wauwatosa director of public works estimated that the number of affected homes in the village was in the hundreds.^[21]

West Allis, another suburb and located near the State Fair Park, also suffered significant flooding that submerged resident's cars.^[30][31]

A 13-year-old boy who tried to swim in the flooded Root River near Franklin was briefly swept away by floodwaters before being rescued.^[32]

Waukesha and Ozaukee counties were both put under flood warnings,^[22] A sewage treatment plant in Cedarburg in Ozaukee County overflowed, sending 250,000 US gallons (950,000 L; 210,000 imp gal) of wastewater into Cedar Creek.^[33] The city of Waukesha experienced flooding from the nearby Fox River, which crested on the evening of August 11.^[34] Multiple streets in the city were closed,^[35] and they added weight to a bridge to ensure the floodwaters did not lift it.^[36] In Brookfield, the director of public works estimated that hundreds of homes had been flooded to some degree.^[21]

A preliminary estimate of the flood's total costs on Milwaukee County's infrastructure was $23 million.^[37] The amount of water dropped overwhelmed Milwaukee's combined sewer system and Deep Tunnel, and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District was forced to let 5.14 billion US gallons (19.5 Gl) of untreated wastewater overflow into rivers and Lake Michigan over the course of 78 hours. Officials credited $580 million in previous green infrastructure and flood management construction projects for limiting the amount of flooding.^[38]

The final day of the Wisconsin State Fair was canceled due to the floods,^[11] as was part of a 2025 USA Triathlon event being held in Milwaukee. The Olympic-distance national championships were held on August 9 and were unaffected; a sprint and paratriathlon scheduled for the 10th were canceled.^[39] A Brewers baseball game scheduled for August 10 went ahead as scheduled even though two of the main roads to the stadium and approximately half of their parking spots were blocked by floodwaters.^[40] About 33,700 of the 42,461 ticketed patrons were able to attend.^[40]

Multiple levels of government declared a state of emergency in reaction to the flooding to allow additional resources to be devoted to recovery efforts. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley declared a county-wide emergency on August 10.^[41] Tony Evers, the governor of Wisconsin, declared one on August 11.^[42][43] On the floodings, Evers said in a statement:

Disastrous storms and flash flooding across our state in recent days have displaced kids and families and damaged homes, businesses, community centers, and so much more. The damage caused by recent extreme weather is extensive, and it’s going to take significant time and resources to recover, repair infrastructure, and help support the folks and communities who have been affected.^[44]

On August 13, Evers formally requested federal disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).^[44]

These flash floods represented a thousand-year flood for Milwaukee.^[45] Over the two-day period of August 9–10, it was the second-most recorded rain the city had ever seen. In a wider lens, the floods were the culmination of a long-term increasing precipitation trend in the southern half of Wisconsin—up 17% since 1950.^[46] The National Weather Service committed to examining a decision to send a flash flood alert to cell phones in the region at about 1 am, which local meteorologists had criticized as being made too late.^[47]

• 2010 Milwaukee flood

• See aftermath of severe weather, flooding in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (August 10)
• See photos of damage, cleanup after flooding in Milwaukee area (August 11)