This past weekend, Southeast Wisconsin got walloped. Heavy rains pounded the region, pushing rivers over their banks and leaving streets, homes, and even the State Fairgrounds under water. The flooding was so severe that the Wisconsin State Fair closed a full day early — something locals can’t recall happening in decades. Cars sat half-submerged in parking lots. Basements became swimming pools. And in both Milwaukee County and neighboring Waukesha, the Fox River rose above flood stage.
Earlier today, I approved National Guard vehicles and operators to help support Milwaukee County’s response to severe flooding that affected the region last night. We are continuing to monitor flooding, especially as several counties continue to remain under flash flood warnings.
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) August 10, 2025
The worst of it came Saturday night. By Sunday afternoon, residents were still wading through the aftermath — hauling out drenched carpet, bailing out sump pumps, and checking the weather radar for more trouble. At 6:30 p.m. that day, Governor Tony Evers finally issued a statement. It was brief, boilerplate, and entirely too late for the people whose homes were already under water.
Wow. The Fox River near Downtown Waukesha is way out of it’s banks…
This part of the river is expected to crest later today just shy of it’s record level.
📸: Mark Lerdahl@WISN12News pic.twitter.com/gCH0nCXI0G
— Molly Bernard (@Molly_WISN) August 11, 2025
And here’s the kicker: Evers’ statement gave special mention to deep-blue Milwaukee County. Waukesha — just a few miles away and hit just as hard — got no such nod. By Monday morning, the Fox River there was still above flood stage. As of 11:58 a.m., the governor still hadn’t declared a state of emergency.
.@GovEvers has not yet declared a state of emergency, and no National Guardsmen have been deployed to the Milwaukee area to support flood response efforts.
Only Wauwatosa submitted a request for assistance, but it was terminated before the National Guard could respond. No other… pic.twitter.com/LOUyPjBo99
— MacIver News Service (@NewsMacIver) August 11, 2025
So much for decisive leadership. Then again, Evers isn’t running for reelection, so why should he hurry? There are no campaign photo-ops to be gained from showing up in waders and shaking hands with homeowners who just lost half their possessions.
My office has been in contact with local officials throughout the day today to offer state assistance wherever we can. I want to thank all of the emergency and first responders and local officials who’ve been working around the clock to respond.
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) August 10, 2025
It’s the kind of sluggish, selective response we’re told is “fascist” when a Republican does it — but perfectly acceptable when it’s (D)ifferent. The same voices that would’ve been screaming about “dereliction of duty” if a GOP governor had waited this long are now content to look the other way.
Meanwhile, the people in Southeast Wisconsin are left to fend for themselves, filling sandbags and swapping neighborhood tips on which intersections to avoid.
