WEST ALLIS — Nearly a week after historic flooding hit southeast Wisconsin, residents are still cleaning up and bracing for another round of storms.
On one block in West Allis near 81st and Hayes, the piles stretch from home to home. They include ruined washers, dehumidifiers, and personal belongings.
“No hot water, no air,” said neighbor Darlene Schlieve. “All the letters I got in Vietnam from my brother — gone. Brother in Desert Storm — gone.”
Schlieve said she has no insurance to cover the damage and is wondering how she can move on.
“I don’t know who’s going to help,” she said through tears. “It makes me sick to my stomach. Can’t sleep, can’t eat. It’s very overwhelming.”
Saturday’s rain only added to the anxiety, reminding residents that even as the cleanup continues, more challenges may be ahead.
“I’m scared because my stuff in the garage, which I brought from the basement, is gonna flood,” Schlieve said.
Neighbors say the cleanup has been relentless.
“Getting up at 6 a.m. and going until 4 — it’s been hot and miserable,” said neighbor Therese Kreinus. “And if it rains, that’s another set of problems.”
The impact has been widespread: earlier flooding in the week displaced residents across West Allis, Muskego and Milwaukee’s north side.
“We realized we had another 18 inches of moisture up our walls,” Mike Kosinski said. His family had to forego their trip to Disney World after their basement flooded.
“At this point, none of us has anything else to lose,” Karen Wicker added.
Through all these struggles, neighbors have leaned on each other for support. On Saturday, they banded together, sorting through belongings and taking them to the curb.
Tyler and Madeline Neuhofer pitched in to help a woman whose husband is battling cancer.
“We at least put a tarp on the plywood,” they said.
Kreinus said that the outlook is helping to keep spirits up even as more rain comes down.
“Better to be joyful and uplifting than down in the dumps — it just brings you farther down.”
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