Wauwatosa flooding; historic flooding raises concern, football games moved

Flooding causes issues for Wauwatosa football programs

Wauwatosa was among the hardest-hit areas during the weekend?s rain and flooding, and city leaders say they are now in recovery mode.

WAUWATOSA, Wis. - Wauwatosa was among the hardest-hit areas during the weekend’s rain and flooding, and city leaders say they are now in recovery mode.

What we know:

Near 72nd and State streets, damage is so significant that the city has closed off the area to the public for safety. In one parking lot, the pavement is torn apart, cracked, buckled and, in some places, sunken into the ground.

A major loss is Hart Park’s turf field, which suffered extensive flooding damage. Wauwatosa East High School’s football team, the Red Raiders, uses the field for home games, but head coach Tom Swittel said those games will now be relocated.

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The flood also ruined equipment such as tackling machines, though uniforms and helmets were spared because they were stored in the locker room.

"When I got down here on Sunday, probably about 10 in the morning," said Swittel, who arrived to find the entire park engulfed in water. "The water was so high, the whole park was engulfed in it and all I could think about was we’re going to lose our equipment."

What they're saying:

The turf field was destroyed, and tackling machines were ruined, but uniforms and helmets stored in the locker room were spared. 

"We thought all of our equipment was going to be destroyed, but luckily it was only a few inches into the locker room, I don’t know how, but that was a big relief," senior Jack Boomsma said.

The team will practice on its high school field and host home games at rival Wauwatosa West.

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"Number one, we are not going to use this as an excuse. I don't care where we play, we expect to win the game," Swittel said. "Number two my kids are really tough and resilient, and we showed that last year, and we will be the same this year, so it's going to be business as usual."

Marquette University High School, which also uses Hart Park, has not yet announced plans.