Milwaukee, southeast Wisconsin begin cleanup after historic floods

Cleanup efforts are continuing Monday after a historic rainfall led to widespread flooding and damage in Milwaukee and across southeast Wisconsin.

Officials declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon after parts of southeastern Wisconsin were placed on flood alert and some reported more than a foot of rain. The storm left flooded streets and basements, downed trees and power outages in its wake.

Meteorologist Timothy Halbach, of the National Weather Service’s Milwaukee-Sullivan office, said Waukesha, Milwaukee, Washington and Ozaukee counties were hardest hit. Most of those areas saw anywhere from 6 to 10 inches of rain Saturday night into Sunday morning. 

Halbach said parts of Waukesha County saw 10 to 12 inches of rainfall during the storm. In Milwaukee, Timmerman Airport reportedly saw 14.5 inches of rain.

Halbach said exact rainfall totals are still being calculated for the area. But he did say the numbers were historic.

“This will be the second-highest rainfall amount for an event in the Milwaukee area,” Halbach said about the storm.

A drop-off center in Milwaukee, which is normally closed on Monday, remained open for residents to drop off items that were damaged from flooding. About 400 vehicles had used that drop-off center as of noon Monday.

Reggie Hymes, who lives on the north side of Milwaukee, said his basement saw about 6 inches of flooding during the storm.

“I got the water out, but the smell isn’t now,” Hymes said. “I got to work on that. I have to move all the stuff out of the way.”

Hymes estimated a loss of about $15,000 from the storm, as the wood flooring in his basement was destroyed. He also said clothing that he uses for his printing business had to be thrown out because of the flooding.

“(But) I’m still alive,” he said. “You can replace this stuff.”

Jerrel Kruschke, the commissioner of public works for the city of Milwaukee, said some streets are still flooded in the city.

“Flood waters are still here,” Kruschke said during a press conference. “There’s still dangers that are out there.”

Kruschke said the city’s two drop-off centers will remain free for residents until Sunday.

“We know … it’s going to take them time to get things out of their basements,” Kruschke said.

Many people who had lost power during the storm have had their power restored as of Monday afternoon, according to a We Energies outage map. Just over 1,000 homes are still without power in Milwaukee County, while 1,131 homes in Waukesha County still have no power.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said people from across the entire city were affected by the flooding caused by the rainfall.

“My thoughts are with everybody, everybody who is dealing with issues, trying to clear out a basement that’s been flooded, folks that are enduring power outages, trying to sort out and figure out what to do with a car that’s been flooded through,” Johnson said during a Monday morning press conference.

A statement from all members of the Milwaukee Common Council called the storm a “generational event.”

“We all know someone — a family member, friend, neighbor, or even ourselves — who was negatively impacted by the flooding,” the statement said.

The Milwaukee Department of Public Works is offering free special bulky item pickup to help with the storm response, according to the statement. The statement also called on residents to report any flooding or damage to the city by calling 414-286-CITY.

“Additionally, anyone who will be cleaning basements and other areas impacted by flooding should take proper precautions,” the statement added.

The Red Cross of Wisconsin opened two shelters in Milwaukee County for people impacted by the storms. Spokesperson Jennifer Warren said 39 people slept at those shelters Sunday night. Those people are being offered food, water and hygiene kits.

Several businesses in the village area of Wauwatosa were still closed Monday due to flooding near the Menomonee River. That includes Vendetta Coffee Bar on State Street.

Bill Haley, owner of the coffee shop, said they’ll likely be closed most of the week. He said there’s around 2 feet of water in the basement of the property.

“The river is high enough that it’s into the building,” Haley said.

“We have a lot of storage down there, and some coolers and freezers and equipment where a lot of that stuff … is floating in water right now,” he added.

A spokesperson for Wauwatosa also said Hart Park was still closed as of Monday afternoon because of flooding.