Lines at Milwaukee dump centers expected to peak in coming days as flood cleanup advances

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15 hours ago

Chris Shefferly is inching closer to his final trip to Milwaukee's drop-off center, his truck bed filled with a flood-soaked bed frame, mattress and rugs. He's been waiting in line for the past 20 minutes, with about a block more to go.
"Coming early in the morning makes a difference," he said.
Thousands of Milwaukeeans have visited the city's two drop-off centers in the days since historic flooding left homes and countless possessions damaged or destroyed. Meanwhile, city crews are traversing the city, picking up soaked belongings piled on the sides of streets.
More than 1,200 vehicles came to the city's two dump sites on Aug. 11. That figure rose to more than 2,000 the following day, Milwaukee Public Works Commissioner Jerrel Kruschke said at a news conference Aug. 13.
More: Here are the latest updates on Milwaukee-area flood debris drop-off and pickup, free offers, shelters
Some people have waited an hour and a half to drop off their destroyed possessions, and Kruschke expected to see a peak in drop offs in the coming days.
The department is extending the hours at the two sites to 6 p.m. through Sunday, and has made the service free. The centers accept electronics, which are not accepted through curbside pick-up.
For those who arrive later in the day, the Department of Public Works will mark the end of the line toward closing time so people are not turned away after waiting, Kruschke said.
At 10 a.m. on Aug. 13, a line of 32 cars waited at the Lincoln Avenue drop-off center, wrapped around the Wendy's on South 43rd Street.
Residents who were waiting in line offered one piece of advice: come early.
The wait was shorter on Aug. 11 when Shefferly made his first trip to the drop-off center early in the morning, he said.
He and his family were watching the Packers game when their basement flooded. They came home to a mess, but Shefferly said the damage isn't as bad as it could have been.
"We were lucky," he said.
How long cleanup will take in Milwaukee unclear
The task of cleaning up the city won't be easy — or quick. Tens of thousands of homes have been impacted, Kruschke said.
The city has about 105 regular garbage crews out, supplemented by 12 skid crews and, in some neighborhoods, backend loaders. Some crews are working 14-hour days, Kruschke said.
"How long is it going to take?" he said of the cleanup effort. "We don't know."
He asked residents to help by sweeping up any small pieces of debris that remain after city crews have gone by.
On the morning of Aug. 13, a three-person city crew equipped with a skid steer, a dump truck, shovels and rakes was making its way up North 19th Street, picking up pile after pile of debris sitting outside homes. Car seats, bed frames, drywall and much more lay discarded on the curb.
Each pile represents a family tragedy, Mayor Cavalier Johnson said.
"You see what people put on the curb, things they care about: photo books, memories, things folks don't want to lose but have lost in the course of this flood," he said.
Alderwoman Andrea Pratt, whose district the crew was working in, described one resident who lost the belongings of her mother who had recently passed away. Others without basements saw their living spaces flooded, she said.
Internally, the department is using a new smartphone application to mark areas that need bulky waste pickup, which city officials said has made the cleanup more efficient and allowed them to prioritize the hardest-hit areas, like North 19th Street.
"It's been a gamechanger," Kruschke said of the app that was implemented about two months ago.
He urged residents to use the city's online portal or call 414-286-CITY to request pickup.
Back at the Lincoln Avenue dump center, resident Bryan Ewerdt waited in his truck at the back of the line. The bed of his truck and trailer were full.
He said he circled the drop-off centers on Industrial Road and Lincoln Avenue a few times mid-day earlier this week, but didn't think the wait in line was worth it.
"The line looked over a mile long," Ewerdt said.
This time, he joined the line around 10 a.m. The line picked up a little speed.
"We're moving!" Ewerdt shouted excitedly.
Alison Dirr can be reached at [e-mail]. Gina Castro is a Public Investigator she can be reached at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Thousands flock to Milwaukee's dump centers as flood cleanup continues