Brookfield Happening Now

Though I still feel there were things that should have been corrected by now to help with the flooding of our City, I may have been too quick on the trigger to point a finger. After witnessing the entire picture of the devastation over a much larger region than Clearwater Drive, it is now clear to me that even if those corrections had been made it would not have significantly changed the recent problems. My apology goes directly to Tom Grisa.

However, I would like to see more attention paid to the control of Underwood Creek. I should have titled my previous post "A River Runs Through It" since that is exactly what is happening to my neighbors behind me. They had spent an enormous amount of time and money beautifying their area just to see most of it floating a away. My yard damage from the flood is miniscule in comparison. I feel that if the Underwood Creek were better controlled, the damage could have been considerably less.

I must praise the Engineering Department for most of their efforts in the City of Brookfield. The widening of Calhoun Road between Bluemound and Greenfield, while understandably, highly unpopular with the residents there, will actually become a boon to those residents. It will definitely benefit the rest of the City.

Those of you who lived in Brookfield anywhere along Underwood Creek or the Dousman ditch in 1997 and 1998 probably have vivid memories of sewer backup and high water surrounding your house. I know Sandy and I do. I was out of town during the 1997 flood. But I recall the panic in Sandy's voice when she called to tell me about it. I also remember the expense of cleanup afterward. In 1998, I remember having to park my car high up on Santa Barbara Drive and walking to my house in water up to my chest from Pomona Road nearly to the end of Clearwater. The Underwood Creek overflowed that much. The water from the creek and rain came so close to the houses on our block we made the news on Channels 4 and 12. The current was so hard it washed away all the topsoil in our back yard. Sandy still has anxiety attacks whenever it rains.

After the 100 year flood in 1997 and the 500 year flood in 1998, I participated in a group formed by the City of Brookfield and the Village of Elm Grove called the Underwood Creek Task Force. The Task Force spent a great deal of time learning why the flooding happened and what could be done about it. We gave our recommendations to the Council.  Tom Grisa of the Engineering Department, who helped develop those plans, said he would implement them as quickly as possible to avoid this happening again.

Well, folks, it appears it has happened again. So what will the engineering department at Brookfield City Hall designate this one - a 1,000 year flood? And what happened to all those plans that were made to abate the flooding? Nothing has been done for over nine years. So here I am at 2:30 in the morning, in a house surrounded by water. And even though I installed a sewer backup blocking valve, my basement is flooded once again. The majority of the water is from the overflowing Underwood Creek. The same creek we were told that would not overflow once the plans the Underwood Creek Task Force were put into effect.  I think the time has come.