Acapulco gets back to routine following hurricane Erick
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Milwaukee County urges residents to report damage as part of an effort to seek federal aid
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley is mobilizing efforts to obtain federal aid in the wake of historic flooding in southeastern Wisconsin. 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@ 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 Solve the daily Crossword
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3 hours ago
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Lines at Milwaukee dump centers expected to peak in coming days as flood cleanup advances
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 adirr@ Gina Castro is a Public Investigator she can be reached at gcastro@ This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Thousands flock to Milwaukee's dump centers as flood cleanup continues
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Thunderstorm warnings, flood watches issued for southeastern Wisconsin
Severe thunderstorms could bring strong wind gusts, flooding and possible tornadoes to southeastern Wisconsin, according to a flurry of alerts put out by the National Weather Service Aug. 16. The National Weather Service placed Milwaukee and large swaths of southeastern, south-central, and east-central Wisconsin under a flood watch around noon. Meanwhile, areas to the north and northwest of Milwaukee were placed under a severe thunderstorm warning. The flood alerts come as the Milwaukee area continues to regroup a week after experiencing historic flooding. The National Weather Service says the forecast is highly variable. Here's the latest: 20 Wisconsin counties placed under flood watch until morning of Aug. 17 South-central and east-central Wisconsin were placed in a flood watch from 4 p.m. Aug. 16 through the morning of Aug. 17. The NWS expects "repeated rounds of thunderstorms with heavy rainfall rates" to potentially cause ponding on roads, with urban areas especially at risk. "Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas," the NWS flood watch alert said. "Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with more heavy rain." The flood watch — different from a flash flood warning — stretched from west of Mineral Point to Milwaukee in the east, with south of Janesville and northwest of the Wisconsin Dells included. A flood watch is issued when conditions are favorable for flooding, while a flash flood warning means flooding is imminent or occurring. Lower Fox River in Waukesha County under flood warning until Aug. 17 afternoon The NWS issued a flood warning for the Lower Fox River in Waukesha, predicting minor flooding. The warning is in effect until the afternoon of Aug. 17. It urged people to be cautious when walking near riverbanks and motorists to not drive around barricades or through flood areas. Severe thunderstorm warning in Iowa, Dane and Sauk counties until 1:30 p.m. The NWS issued a severe thunderstorm warning for northeastern Iowa County, northwestern Dane County and Southeastern Sauk County until 1:30 p.m. The warning indicated a storm could bring wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour and quarter-sized hail. The storm was located 7 miles northeast of Spring Green and moving east at about 30 miles per hour. Impacted locations include Prairie Du Sac, Sauk City, Cross Plains, Mazomanie, Black Earth, Arena, Plain and Marxville. Thunderstorm warning in northern Ozaukee County, surrounding area until 1 p.m. The NWS issued a severe thunderstorm warning for northern Ozaukee County, southeastern Fond du Lac County, Columbia County, Washington County, Dodge County and Sheboygan County until 1 p.m. The warning indicated storms were moving southeast at 40 miles per hour and expected to bring wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour. The NWS urged people in the area to monitor for tornadoes and move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Impacted locations include: Sheboygan, West Bend, Watertown, Beaver Dam, Hartford, Plymouth, Sheboygan Falls, Jackson, Mayville, Slinger, Columbus, Kewaskum, Horicon, Howards Grove, Juneau, Oostburg, Lomira, Belgium, Fredonia, and Kohler. The NWS urged people at the Dodge County Fair in Beaver Dam to seek safe shelter immediately. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Thunderstorm warnings, flood watches issued for southeastern Wisconsin
