WAUKESHA — The rising Fox River has breached its banks in downtown Waukesha, prompting the city to close streets and park heavy snowplows on a local bridge to prevent structural shifting.
On the Barstow Street bridge, the city parked large snowplow trucks filled with gravel. Waukesha officials said the strong water flow could cause the bridge deck to lift or shift due to its construction, so the trucks are being used to weigh it down. The city took the same protective measure last year in August.
Watch: The Fox River is flooding, causing concern for possible damage to bridges and other areas nearby in Waukesha.
The high waters have drawn people to the riverwalk throughout the day to observe the flooding. TMJ4 spoke to residents who are watching the river to see what is possibly coming next.
"It is crazy to me how high the water has gotten," Randy Brown said.
"This is wild," John Herod said.
"They don’t know how high the river is going to get so they want to prevent things from happening, which is a good idea," Ezequiel Mendez said.
The flooding extends beyond downtown. Bethesda Park has filled with water, nearly reaching nearby homes. On Marshal Street, the river has flowed into the road and is moving toward houses, forcing homeowners' sump pumps to work overtime.
"This is about as high as it has been in the last 10 years or so," Jamie Walz said.
Residents are relying on their pumps to keep the river out of their homes ahead of more expected rain tonight.
"My basement is dry," Deborah Haley said. "I have two sump pumps in my basemen,"
"Well that is what I was worried about," Haley said.
City officials are asking the public to stay back from the river on Barstow Street and maintain a safe distance while observing the rising water.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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