Milwaukee County urges residents to report damage as part of an effort to seek federal aid
On Aug. 12, Crowley conducted a walkthrough of the Milwaukee neighborhood around North 39th Street and West Hope Avenue to assess the damage and offer guidance and support.
He urged all residents to report any damage to homes and property through the county's 211 social services hotline.
That's because obtaining federal aid through the Federal Emergency Management Agency is only possible if an area documents a certain threshold of damage costs, according to the county's Office of Emergency Management.
The OEM's Deputy Director Chris McGowan could not immediately provide what that threshold is for Milwaukee County or how close the county is to meeting it.
But McGowan did say the office is "already anticipating we will be over that threshold."
The OEM is currently spearheading efforts to assess damage across the county with support from the City of Milwaukee, volunteer groups, the state's Incident Management Team and other county agencies. McGowan said the initiative could take between several weeks and several months.
Initial estimates already indicate that 11% of the damage reported to 211 is categorized as "fully destroyed," which rivals a major hurricane, McGowan said.
The more people who report damage, the more likely Milwaukee County is to reach that threshold sooner and qualify for federal aid, Crowley said during the walkthrough.
The neighborhood Crowley visited to assess damage was hit hard by flooding
For blocks, piles and piles of water-damaged items sat near the curbs outside of homes: mattresses, suitcases, printers, moldy clothing items and damaged photos were among the heaps.
It's a similar story across the county, damage assessors said.
Crowley and other responders stopped at the home of Collette Anderson and her son Da'lin, who said most of the cars on their block aren't working after the street flooded with around 3 feet of water for about 12 hours.
Their home also sustained significant damage, the Andersons told Crowley. Da'lin said it meant a lot to see Crowley out in their community, offering guidance and support.
Another resident Crowley visited, Tamela Montgomery, said the impact of flooding has been devastating to her neighborhood.
"We start from the bottom, trying to get these things for ourselves, and it's all taken away in the blink of an eye," Montgomery said.
She was shocked at the speed with which her home filled with water, destroying all the toys and games she'd bought for her five grandchildren. "It was horrific," Montgomery said. "We were swimming."
Crowley said, "folks are not only losing their homes but their memories."
How close is the county to qualifying for federal aid?
Crowley said the county and the state are still gathering information on the total impact of the damage caused by the flooding.
Already, the county has received thousands of calls, he said.
"Whether or not we reach that threshold, our job is to show up for people while they're going through one of the worst times in their life," Crowley said.
Crowley issued a countywide emergency on Aug. 10
Crowley said he has not had any contact with the Trump Administration.
How Milwaukee County residents can report flood damage:
Residents can report damage to the county by calling 211 or by filling out forms on the county website. Crowley said all county residents seeing damage, especially those without insurance, should report it.
FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration also offer applications for individual loans and grants to people in areas with declared disasters.
During the walkthrough, Crowley thanked local partners, state agencies and community groups who've been out across the county finding ways to help their neighbors.
"The only way we're going to get through this is by continuously working together, leaning on one another," Crowley said. "We've been doing a great job of that. Let's keep going."
(This story was updated to change or add a photo or video.)
Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee County urges residents to report flood damage via 211 line
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