A West Allis man is facing the devastating reality that his home is a total loss after Saturday evening's flash floods caused catastrophic foundation damage.
Mitchell Berge was inside his home when disaster struck.
"I heard a really loud bang and all of a sudden ran outside thinking a tree might have fallen on my house and there's no tree down on my house, so I knew right away my basement wall collapsed," Berge said.
What he discovered was far worse than he initially imagined. The flooding had caused extensive structural damage that professionals say likely can't be repaired.
"When you look into the basement it's a war zone, you can't be down there," Berge said.
The damage is particularly heartbreaking for Berge, who had recently invested significantly in his property.
Watch: West Allis homeowner faces total loss after flash floods shift foundation
"I put $30,000 into it this year alone and all of that's a loss," Berge said.
The flooding was so severe that water reached well beyond the basement.
"With how much water there was I had 24 inches in the first floor so everything was floating," Berge said.
TMJ4 spoke with construction professionals who confirmed the severity of the situation. Wes Kitto, owner of Bulldog Builders, assessed the damage.
"In his particular house, the whole foundation of the house moved. So the cost to repair it is going to exceed the value of the house," Kitto said.
What makes this situation even more challenging for Berge and his neighbors is that many of them have been denied coverage from insurance since West Allis is not classified as a "flood plain."
Kitto, who worked as an insurance adjuster for two decades before moving into construction 12 years ago, estimates the financial impact will be substantial.
"A lot of these costs are going to exceed $100,000 in my estimation. Some of them won't be able to rebuild," Kitto said.
The damage in West Allis ranks among the worst Kitto has seen in his extensive career.
"I've been in this for 35 years. Normally I see this after a hurricane. I worked Hurricane Katrina and a bunch of major storms had this type of damage," Kitto said. "But this is even worse because it's not just surface water and spring water, it's sewage."
As residents like Berge face the daunting task of starting over, they're hoping federal emergency aid will come through to provide relief as they rebuild their homes and lives.
Berge has started a GoFundMe to help with the financial strain as he searches for a new place to live.
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