The Little Red Store, an iconic landmark in Tosa Village and the city's oldest commercial building, became an island surrounded by the floodwaters of the Menomonee River on Aug. 10 after the storm-fueled river rose by 13 feet and spread across much of the village basin.
From atop the Harmonee Bridge, onlookers could see down to what appeared to be a devastating scenario for the historic structure, which is owned by the city and operated by the Wauwatosa Historical Society. But despite filling the Little Red Store's basement with water, the flood mostly spared the rest of the structure and its utilities. Site cleanup began almost as soon as the water subsided later Aug. 10.
"A lot of things went the right way for us," Amanda Saso, the Wauwatosa Historical Society's executive director, told Tosa Forward News in an afternoon interview Aug. 11 at the Little Red Store.
Outside the historic structure, a plastic hose still snaked from a back window to the sewer grate, where crews had pumped the river water out of the basement. Another hose coiled outward from the back door, for when cleanup crews were to return for "mucking," the process of cleaning out mud and other river debris that had accumulated.
Saso had no definitive estimate yet on damages or other costs of the cleanup, but her rough guess was that the total project could reach about $50,000, with about $10,000-20,000 of that just for removing the water and damaged items and additional basement remediation. She is hopeful that some or all of that cost will be covered by insurance.
The structure was built in 1854 and initially intended as a blacksmith shop, but it was purchased a year later and turned into a store. It would go on to house numerous uses over the following century, and in 1978, it was designated a city landmark. The city took ownership of the building in 1987. An extensive renovation project was completed in 2008 through the city's partnership with Wauwatosa Historical Society, which now maintains the interior, hosts events and rents the space to the public.
Like most Wauwatosa residents, Saso went to bed Aug. 9 with little sense of the disaster about to unfold. The storm began dropping heavy rain that evening, and she awoke around 3 a.m. to see alerts about possible flash flooding. She was able to check surveillance camera feeds to keep an eye on the Historical Society's Kneeland-Walker House, which seemed fine, and the Little Red Store, not yet under obvious threat. But by 6 a.m., her sense of alarm grew when she checked again and saw the floodwater filling the municipal parking lot and crashing against the back of the Little Red Store.
Her first call was to First Onite, a contractor she knows that oversees cleanup projects – Saso herself also works as an independent insurance adjuster when she is not overseeing the Historical Society – and she asked the company to add the Little Red Store to its standby list while she gathered more information.
Though not able to reach the store while it was still surrounded by raging floodwaters, Saso was able to inspect the site in person later in the day with a police escort. Seeing how much water had gotten into the building, she knew then it would be critical to act fast, and she put in a formal work order, asking First Onsite and its subcontractors to respond as soon as they were able.
When those crews could access the building, around 4 p.m., they spent their first hours pumping the water out of the basement.
"It was completely full up to the top," Saso said. During the flood, the water outside had risen at least as high as the back door and appears to have flowed inside from there and into the basement, nearly to the top step. The water damage to the building's main floor, however, was minimal.
The building also never lost power, and its air conditioning still worked, likely thanks to its utility connections all being located in the attic rather than the basement. No historically significant items were damaged, though everything in the basement had to be trashed, much of it equipment used during event rentals. The Historical Society also had bought new Christmas decorations last year that were stored in the basement and now will need to be replaced.
Late Aug. 11, the dank smell from river water mixed with sewer overflow still lingered in the building as Saso provided a summary of the damage and the work ahead. Muddy footprints covered the floor, though the water was gone and the air conditioner running strong. Remediation crews were scheduled to finish the basement cleanup and sanitize the facility next.
Saso thinks that the quick response should ensure that the building can be preserved without extensive remodeling. If all goes well, she hopes it will be in shape to welcome a rental client that had the Little Red Store booked for the first week of September.
Additional cleanup will be necessary outside the building, where signs of erosion from the floodwater could bee seen under the back entryway and garden. The exterior also may require a new coat of pain and some woodwork repair, she said.
Debris from upriver also still remained to be cleared, including a large number of empty cans labeled for Good City Brewing, possibly after driving from a storage facility upriver. Wauwatosa's Department of Public Works had already been through the adjacent parking lot to clear debris, though for the time being, the lot and street access to the Little Red Store remained closed.
"I, like all of us, I think, was surprised by the rain," Saso said, but she has been heartened by the willingness of residents and local officials to help each other respond in the aftermath.
