WEST ALLIS, Wis. — Thousands of families are still recovering from last week’s historic floods as local organizations step up to meet the overwhelming demand for help.
“Most of the folks that are calling are people who can't afford a flood, not that anybody can, but they don't have homeowners insurance or flood insurance, and they don't have a means to replace the items that they're losing or lost,” said John Hyatt, president and CEO of Impact 211.
READ ALSO: Neighbors in 53209 zip code work together to recover from historic flooding
Impact 211 is a 24/7, 365-day crisis call center. Hyatt says they are used to getting about 500 calls a day for anything related to housing, food, mental health, and more. However, since the flooding, they have been handling between 2,000 and 3,000 calls every day.
“What's most surprising to me, not that there was originally this just sort of onslaught of calls, but it just hasn't let up. We've got as many people answering the phone as we can,” Hyatt said.
He says Impact 211 is the place to start to report property damage and need for services.
Watch: Calls for help surge after historic southeastern Wisconsin floods
“If there's a chance at all that the community and that individuals are going to get any financial assistance from the state or federal government, these damage reports are really critical to that effort,” Hyatt said.
Impact partners with the American Red Cross of Wisconsin to help serve those in need. Jennifer Warren, the regional communications director for the American Red Cross of Wisconsin, said their teams are distributing cleanup kits, welcoming those in need to their shelters, and providing disaster mental health volunteers.
READ ALSO: Neighbors wonder when FEMA will assess damage following historic flooding in Southeast Wisconsin
“Having somebody that you know, that you can talk with, and that will just listen and and try and you know best support you. I think that's huge,” Warren said.
Warren says they go to different neighborhoods that have been heavily impacted by the flood with an emergency response vehicle to distribute cleanup kits. There is also a shelter at Milwaukee Marshall High School for those in need of a meal or place to stay. Warren says the Red Cross has delivered 7,300 disaster cleanup kits to more than 1,600 households so far.
The Red Cross is also calling for more volunteers. For more information on how to volunteer, you can visit this website.
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