KENOSHA — Days after heavy rain left her finished basement flooded, Kenosha homeowner Marna Glover Krueger is still cleaning up the damage. This time, she has some extra hands helping her.
Krueger said she discovered water spreading throughout her basement Sunday morning. The basement serves as her primary living space while her son, who has a disability, lives upstairs.
“It’s been overwhelming,” Krueger said. “I saw all the boxes of my teacher things were destroyed — just destroyed."
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At first, Krueger tried to determine where the water was coming from. She eventually realized her sump pump was not working and said water began spreading through her bedroom, bathroom, laundry room, and walk-in closet.
“Next thing I knew, we were putting all the dry things up high toward the center of the house,” Krueger said. “I realized I’m walking in water here as well.”
Among the items damaged were boxes Krueger had saved from her nearly five-decade career as an art teacher.
Faced with a flooded basement and a cleanup she said she physically could not tackle by herself, Krueger reached out for help.
Volunteers with the Kenosha Disaster Response Team showed up at her home.
Volunteers carried water-damaged belongings up the basement stairs, ripped out soaked carpet, and worked to mitigate the damage. Krueger and a friend also worked alongside them, cleaning the basement.
“I couldn’t do it without them,” Krueger said. “I can’t imagine what it would be like without them.”
Krueger said she lives with her son and isn't able to carry the damaged belongings up the stairs herself, making the volunteers' help especially meaningful.
Jeff Berard with the Disaster Response Team said volunteers step in when neighbors need them.
“We have a great group of volunteers who are able to show up whenever they are able to show up,” Berard said. “They’re very passionate about what they do, and that’s why we show up when we need to show up.”
For Krueger, there is still work ahead. But after days of dealing with the aftermath of the flooding, she no longer has to do it alone.
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