WAUWATOSA — More than a week after catastrophic flooding hit Southeast Wisconsin, thousands of Milwaukee County residents are still dealing with the aftermath of water damage to their homes.
Jessica Young, who lives near 100th and Concordia in Wauwatosa, has spent days trying to salvage family photographs damaged by floodwaters that rose to her first floor.
While the photos aren't the most valuable items the Young family lost, they may be the most irreplaceable.
"Even if I can't save the photographs, I know they're still there, they're still a part of me," Young said. "Nonetheless, it's okay if we don't have photos; we're all safe. We just have to get together and share stories."
The damage to Young's home is extensive. Her half-finished basement has been stripped down to the studs, with drywall and insulation that will need to be replaced. With her insurance claim denied, most of the financial burden will fall on her family.
"It really, really is unprecedented, historic," Young said.
Despite the challenges, Young says the community response has been heartening. Friends have offered her family a place to stay, helped buy groceries, and even loaned them a car.
While Young feels fortunate for the support she's received, she knows not everyone has the same resources and worries about the long-term recovery process.
Watch: Flood victims face irreplaceable losses as thousands report damage in the first week after catastrophic floods
"FEMA has to do what it has to do to get here, and the approvals are needed, and we're sitting here, I think that's scary, right, we're in fight or flight, you're trying to get things done," Young said.
As of Friday, nearly 14,000 residents in Milwaukee County alone had reported damage to Impact 211.
Young hopes attention to the disaster doesn't fade before help arrives.
"I'm afraid of momentum dying down," Young said. "If people don't hear or pay attention to us, I don't know how we're going to be able to get back to functioning as a society. There are a lot of people affected by this."
A friend of the Young family had a GoFundMe set up in the family's name.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones 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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