Kenosha businesses deal with aftermath of heavy storms

KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Heavy thunderstorms this week had some businesses in Kenosha in dire straits.

The family fun on Jerry Smith Pumpkin Farm’s opening day Saturday is in jeopardy because of flooding around County Highway S.

“It couldn’t get any worse,” said Amy Smith, the farm’s co-owner.

She described her backyard where the activities are as a swamp.

Their greenhouse is flooded too, ruining the produce.

“The pumpkins are still connected to the vine, so now they just absorb all this water,” Smith said. “They just rot from the inside out.”

Down the road from the farm is Sozo Chiropractic, where flooding in the parking lot has given the business a decision to make.

“I’m really hoping it doesn’t rain too much [Thursday night] because if the water comes up much further we’ll probably have to close [Friday] and Saturday,” said Erika Matzen, an employee at the office. “We don’t want anyone falling or getting stuck.”

The weather is causing problems for the city of Kenosha too.

Curt Czarnecki, the Kenosha water utility’s general manager, says the wastewater treatment plant is processing almost eight times its normal amount of water.

“We don’t have a lot of extra capacity to go, so we are a little nervous about [Thursday night] but we are doing everything in our power to make sure we can try to protect all the customers,” Czarnecki said.

Emergency personnel for the city will be heading back into work overnight when they expect the worst of the storm.