MILWAUKEE — As Milwaukee heads into another snow emergency Saturday night, many in the city are still dealing with the impacts of the first round of winter weather.
After several broken water pipes and hundreds of downed power lines, tens of thousands of people are still without power. Many on the city’s Northwest side, bearing the brunt of it, had to leave home Saturday just to stay safe.
“If I knew, I would’ve got me a generator,” resident Bobby Erby said. “No power, food is going bad. You know can’t take a bath can’t take a shower because there’s no hot water.”
Erby and his neighbors said they’d been experiencing power outages since Friday. When Erby came to shovel the snow Saturday morning, he found a downed power line in his backyard.
“I called in this morning and told them about it, but nobody showed up yet,” he said. “Right now, I’m not too concerned. I’m sure We Energies can do what they need to do but I would like to return home, be comfortable, instead of having my family out.”
We Energies officials said late Saturday afternoon they’ve already restored power to more than 160 thousand customers but about 70 thousand still remained without power.
Power company crews have been working 24/7.
The company has also brought in crews from as far away as Indiana to help.
We Energies hoped to have power restored to 85% of the city by Saturday night, and 98% by Sunday.
For Northwest Milwaukee resident Kay, that can’t happen soon enough.
“I’d rather not leave my house like this with the neighborhood all black like this,” she said. “I’d rather not but I mean, I’m not going stay here and freeze.”
But before she could leave, with the help of her father and brother, Jay had to spend over an hour digging out her car.
“I’m laughing because I’m frustrated, and I mean what else can I do but laugh and smile. What can I do about it,” she said. “Only thing I can do is wait.”
During a news conference Saturday, leaders from the Milwaukee Department of Public Works asked people for patience as plow crews work to clear the roads.
They said they will continue to work on snow removal through Tuesday.
Since the snow started falling early Friday, the Milwaukee Fire Department has responded to roughly 940 service calls, almost 130 were electrical hazards.
Outreach workers with the city are expected to be out during the day and evening to help those who need it find shelter.
Officials said Milwaukee’s six warming centers have the capacity for about 220 people and will be open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Leaders from MFD, DPW, DHS and the Mayor are also offering the following safety tips:
- Stay away from downed power lines.
- Limit travel on roadways and even sidewalks.
- Clear away snow around vents and if you are without power do not use gas stoves or grills to stay warm—because both could fill your home with carbon monoxide.
- If you are leaving your home because there is no heat you should turn the water off to avoid burst pipes.
- If you are outside cover any exposed skin because frostbit can happen within minutes and hypothermia can set in quickly after.
- For information on shelters, warming centers, and other resources dial 211
The mayor also asked people to please check on their family, friends, and neighbors, especially bearing in mind the elderly or those with mobility issues.
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