Historic Flash Floods Submerge Milwaukee as Midwest Battles Relentless Rains
Historic Flash Floods Submerge Milwaukee as Midwest Battles Relentless Rains
Over the weekend, Milwaukee got so much rain that the whole place almost turned into a swimming pool. Streets became rivers, cars got stuck, and rescue teams had to help a lot of people get to safety. They even had to stop the Wisconsin State Fair and say, “Okay, this is an emergency now!”
Some areas got almost a foot of rain in just a few hours. On Saturday night alone, Milwaukee got 5.74 inches of rain — that’s the second biggest rainfall ever in the city’s history! The Milwaukee River got so high, it reached a record 11.19 feet. Drains couldn’t handle it, and many cars ended up completely underwater.
Firefighters worked really hard, saving about 65 people from cars, rooftops, and other scary spots. Mayor Cavalier Johnson said, “This isn’t just normal rain — this is really bad flooding, and it’s damaging a lot of homes and things in our city.”
The storm also knocked out power in many places, broke roads, and ruined a bunch of cars. County Executive David Crowley said more rain might still be coming, so people should be careful.
Weather experts say this huge flood happened because a big storm just got stuck over the area and wouldn’t move. It’s still dumping a lot of rain in the Midwest and Central Plains, and it might keep going until Monday. Scientists also say these kinds of crazy rainstorms are happening more often because the planet is getting hotter. In fact, 2025 has already broken records for flash flood warnings all over the country!
This isn’t the first time something like this has happened this summer. Big cities all over the U.S. have been getting wild amounts of rain — like that “once in 500 years” storm that hit Kansas City not long ago. Right now, rescue workers are working non-stop, and officials are telling people to stay away from flooded places and be ready to leave if things get worse.
Some people are saying this might be the “new normal” — where crazy weather happens more and more because of climate change. That’s why folks are wondering if cities like Milwaukee need totally new plans to deal with big floods like this.
