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Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
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
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Milwaukee will waive dump, item pickup fees for flood victims this week
Milwaukee's Department of Public Works will waive fees for the city's two drop off centers as flood victims clean out damaged items from their homes. The centers, which are typically closed on Mondays, will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 11. Dump fees will be waived until Aug. 17, TMJ4 reported, citing DPW Commissioner Jerrel Kruschke at an Aug. 10 press conference. The city is also waiving fees for residents to request bulky item pickups this week. Where are Milwaukee drop off centers? There are two drop off centers in Milwaukee. They're located at: South: 3879 W. Lincoln Ave. North: 6660 N. Industrial Road The centers operate from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. You can find out more information online at How to request bulky item pickup in Milwaukee: You can request a bulky item pickup by calling 414-286-CITY or online at Safety tips for cleaning flooded basements: Before you begin cleaning out a flooded area, there are several safety precautions you need to take. Do not enter a flooded basement until you are certain the electricity in your home is off, DPW says. You should also ensure children do not have access to the area. Once it is safe to enter the flooded area, here's are some other safety checks DPW recommends: Wear protective clothing items, like rubber gloves or boots, to minimize skin exposure. Walk carefully. Ensure any electric cleaning equipment is dry before using it. Check appliances, like furnaces and water heaters, for escaping gas and make sure pilot flames are lit. Do not light a match until the gas supply has been shut off if anything is escaping. If you're unsure, contact a professional. When you begin cleaning, you should rinse all contaminated surfaces and floors with clean water. DPW says you should mix 1/2 to 3/4 cup of household bleach with one gallon of water, ensuring appropriate ventilation in the space. Contaminated surfaces should remain damp with this solution for thirty minutes, and then rinsed with clean water. For more cleaning tips, you can visit This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin flooding: How to request item pickups, find drop off centers
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Milwaukee's streetcar will expand service again for Summerfest 2025
Milwaukee's streetcar, The Hop, will again run both of its lines merged together with service to the lakefront during Summerfest, the agency announced June 10. The Festivals Line will replace the streetcar's existing operations from June 15 through July 5 with service starting at 5 a.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. on weekends with extended service until 1 a.m. during each of the nine Summerfest nights. Northbound vehicles will deviate from the traditional M-Line route to include the loop east on Michigan Street, through the Couture Transit Concourse and back west on Clybourn Street before returning toward Burns Commons. While southbound vehicles from Burns Commons will travel along the M-Line route. On the Festivals Line, passengers boarding at the Intermodal Station will reach the lakefront in 12 minutes, and traveling to the festival grounds from Burns Commons will take about 36 minutes, according to the release. The Festivals Line was introduced last year, and was extended until the end of the summer, before Milwaukee Common Council decided to end the route. Unlike last summer, the Festivals Line will not run throughout the entire summer, confirmed spokesperson Mark Rosenberg. 'Summerfest is one of Milwaukee's busiest times, and that extends to The Hop,' Milwaukee Commissioner of Public Works Jerrel Kruschke said in a statement. In 2024, ridership increased 30% year-over-year during Summerfest with 28,383 total trips during the festival. An average of 3,154 passengers took the Hop during Summerfest, which ran nine days over a three-weekend stretch (June 20-22, June 27-29 and July 4-6). Milwaukee's streetcar, known as The Hop, launched in 2018 on a 2.1-mile route known as the M-Line. That line runs in a loop through eastern downtown to the edge of the Historic Third Ward. Another 0.4-mile lakefront line through the Couture high-rise, known as the L-Line, opened last year. Outside of the modified schedule, the Hop M-Line operates Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to midnight, Saturday from 7 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Streetcars arrive every 15 minutes during peak hours and every 20 minutes during off peak hours and on Sunday. The L-Line streetcar provides service to existing stations at Wisconsin Avenue northbound and southbound, City Hall northbound and southbound, the Historic Third Ward eastbound, and stations Michigan at Jackson eastbound, Clybourn at Jefferson westbound, and the lakefront inside the Couture transit plaza. Yes, passengers can ride the streetcar for free. Complete ridership data for The Hop is available online at RELATED: Milwaukee's streetcar keeps breaking down, here's why This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee streetcar The Hop runs Festivals Line during Summerfest 2025
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Milwaukee City Hall lockdown; leaders drill into communication chaos
The Brief Milwaukee City Hall and the Zeidler Municipal Building went on lockdown last week. It turned out to be a false alarm, but a number of communication issues unfolded. City leaders and employees drilled into that communication chaos on Thursday. MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee City Hall and the Zeidler Municipal Building went on lockdown last week. Now, city leaders are working to make sure the communication issues that unfolded in the process don't happen again. The backstory A city employee was in the process of getting fired on May 15. When that person left, police said the slamming of a door sounded like gunshots. It turned out to be a false alarm. MPD said there were no signs of gunshots, and the department is still investigating what happened. What they're saying Common Council members called Department of Public Works Commissioner Jerrel Kruschke and the city's emergency management director before the Public Health and Safety Committee on Thursday. "The announcement did not go off. The speakers were not working at that time," said Kruschke. Public Works Commissioner Jerrel Kruschke said the speakers were not working throughout the entire building. They have since been fixed. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android "We didn't know anything," said Common Council President José Pérez. For more than an hour, city leaders and employees drilled into the chaos surrounding the false alarm that locked down city hall. "What would have been the appropriate things that should have happened?" said Ald. Sharlen Moore. "We do have these floor evacuation team leaders, and I think sometimes it's hard to differentiate between that when there's an emergency, that they have actual commitment and responsibility to engage and to provide some sort of safety response," said Ryan Zollicoffer, the city's emergency management director. The initial call for a possible active shooter came just after 3:03 p.m. on May 15. A distress button was pressed on the fourth floor of the Zeidler Municipal Building at 3:06 p.m. The public address system announcement did not come until 3:30 p.m. "Is 20 minutes adequate time?" asked Ald. Peter Burgelis. "We don't need to put false information out there, I think that's where the delay happened," Kruschke said. "Was it too long? Yes." "Three officers on site in seconds. Nowhere else in any facilities I've been to where you'll have that rapid response," said Zollicoffer. "I don't want to gloss over how well our public safety team did." There were no text alerts, and an email didn't reach elected officials. Some said they only learned something was wrong when running into the mayor's security detail. Dig deeper FOX6 News asked Pérez if the city has a comprehensive plan in place and whether it is being correctly executed. "I don't believe so at all. You heard, we thought, some people thought there was a text messaging system in place. It's not in place," he said. What's next Pérez said he wants a concrete plan and employee training, so a situation like that does not happen again. "If a plan is going to collect dust and no one's gonna execute, how we understand it and do it, it makes no sense," he said. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Pérez intends on setting up a work group, including the clerk's office, to ensure everyone who should be getting important messages does. Also on Thursday, the city's emergency management and public works departments met with police, fire and other departments to go over the city's response. The Source Information in this report is from FOX6 News interviews, Thursday's Public Health and Safety Committee meeting and the Milwaukee Police Department.
