MILWAUKEE — Eight months ago, basement flooding across Milwaukee left homeowners with tens of thousands of dollars in damage, ruined personal belongings and months of cleanup.
Now, heavy rains have struck again, and some residents are reliving the nightmare.
For Charles Collins, the latest flooding feels like déjà vu.
“All these tool boxes with tools in them are filled with water,” he said, pointing to his soaked equipment. “We’re frustrated. I’m frustrated because we have to keep cleaning this up.”
Watch: Another basement flood for Milwaukee couple sparks insurance anxiety
In August, Collins’ basement was nearly waist-deep in water. This time, the flooding reached about a foot, according to TMJ4’s measurement on-site. Collins says the damage still includes soaked furniture, destroyed tools, books, and cherished items — plus a smell that refuses to go away. For him and his wife, who both have health challenges, the cleanup is not only labor-intensive but physically taxing.
“I have spinal stenosis and my wife has COPD … I can’t be down here without a respirator,” Collins said.
Collins says his biggest worry now isn’t just the cleanup — it’s what this second claim might mean for his homeowners insurance.
“They’re probably going to raise our insurance or they’re going to cancel it,” he said. “We’ve had friends this happened to.”
Public insurance adjuster Martin Kaczmarek said fears of being dropped are often misplaced, especially when it comes to flooding from storms.
“Weather events like flooding are considered ‘acts of God.’ It’s unlikely you’ll be dropped because of that,” Kaczmarek said.
Premiums are set by the state insurance commissioner based on losses within a ZIP code, not on individual claim history, he said. If many homes in the area are damaged, premiums may rise across the entire neighborhood.
Kaczmarek recommends hiring a licensed public adjuster to navigate complex water claims and to ensure homeowners get the proper payout. He said anyone facing flood damage should document everything, mitigate the loss, read their policy carefully and consider professional help. Public adjusters typically work on contingency, meaning they are paid only if the homeowner gets a payout.
Attorney Justin Wallace said the only value of an insurance policy is the ability to make a claim, even if homeowners worry about future premiums.
“Don’t eat thousands of dollars in costs just because you’re afraid of losing your policy,” Wallace said.
Wallace said multiple claims caused by unavoidable events shouldn’t be treated as high risk by rational insurers. However, even without a claim, premiums could still rise due to the area’s increased risk profile. He advised maintaining open communication with adjusters, ensuring all potential causes are reported, and not getting discouraged if the process becomes long or frustrating.
Across Milwaukee, many homeowners are asking why infrastructure improvements haven’t prevented these floods. Collins said water from surrounding streets funnels directly to the drains outside his home, drains that cannot keep up in heavy storms.
“Why should we have to keep cleaning our basements when they supposedly have a tunnel that’s supposed to accept all this water?” Collins said.
Until structural fixes are made, homeowners will have to focus on preparation and response, including keeping basement valuables off the floor, installing sump pumps or backup systems if possible, having disinfectants and drying equipment ready, and reviewing their policy before disaster strikes.
For homeowners like Collins, this is not just about water in the basement — it’s about navigating insurance, protecting health, and wondering if the next storm will bring yet another round of damage.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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