Adam Steffan, the theater director at Wauwatosa West High School, is used to managing high drama, but two feet of the water in the school's theater isn't the set he would have wanted for any of the school's productions.
"It’s tough to see our theater space impacted by something like a flood," Steffan told Tosa Forward News when reached by phone this week, after torrential rain overnight Aug. 9 made its way into the school theater under its loading door.
Damage from the flooding has included the theater's stage, dressing rooms, some of the seating area and the pit where the orchestra plays. The water has since been pumped out, and crews are in the process of cleaning up mud and disposing of items ruined in the storm. "Everything is wet and covered in mud.”
Flooding like this is unusual for the theater, but "there was so much rain at one time," Steffan said. More than 5 inches of rain fell in just five hours, according to weather data for Wauwatosa.
Some of the worst flooding occurred in Tosa Village, where the Menomonee River rose rapidly and spilled over its banks. Some businesses nearby have had to close for repairs, and other businesses and homes in other parts of the city were damaged when the large volume of rainwater overwhelmed sewers and leaked into basements.
At Tosa West, the school district and its contractors responded quickly to help minimize long-term damage to the theater. "The school district has been really on top of this," Steffan said. "At this point they’re still assessing our facility for damage." No cost estimates were yet available.
About 100 Tosa West students typically contribute to each of the school's two theater productions during the school year, from performers to set designers. Steffan said he is hopeful that any impact from the flooding will be addressed in time for the school to stage its next production in November.
"It’s tough and hard and it's a challenge, but I am confident in the school district and the professionals that are starting to clean our space," he said. "This is a strong community. We'll repair, we'll rebuild and we’ll keep doing what we do best, which is theater."
Get additional Tosa Forward News coverage of the 2025 flood here.
