GREENFIELD — A water main break in Greenfield has left several residents near 37th and Kimberly facing thousands of dollars in damage and uncertainty about who will cover the costs.
Harold and Sherryl Janas had a hard time sleeping after their basement flooded when a City of Milwaukee water main broke near their house on Thursday.
"Almost $10,000, at least," Harold Janas said. "And it went up to my appliances, so we have to check that now."
When asked if they were nervous about the price, Janas responded, "Yes. You just don't know. Everything is just so unknown."
Across the street, Lisa Abbott is helping her parents clean up after the same flood. TMJ4 spoke with her Thursday night after the flood, and we returned Friday to see how things had progressed.
Watch: Greenfield residents face costly cleanup after Milwaukee water main break floods homes
"It's pretty much destroyed," Abbott said.
Water damage is evident throughout the basement, along with a pile of rocks left on the floor.
"And now we have to figure out how we're going to pay for it," Abbott said.
Abbott told me her parents' insurance company will only cover up to $10,000 worth of damage — just a fraction of what the total cost may be. She hopes to find more answers with the City of Milwaukee.
"We're going to work with the city of Milwaukee with a claim," Abbott said.
A City of Milwaukee Water Works spokesperson told TMJ4 that residents impacted can file a claim through the City Clerk. However, recent events have shown that claims for water main breaks are not often successful.
In 2019, a water main break on Hawley Road just south of I-94 caused extensive flooding. Neighbors filed claims, but the City Attorney determined the city could not have known a pipe would fail before the break, and all claims were denied.
Neighbors in Greenfield are hopeful that won't happen to them.
"That's very frustrating. Like I said, once these guys are done, I don't know how many thousands of dollars that's going to cost me there. I'm retired, I'm on a fixed income. I'm counting on insurance or somebody to take a little accountability on what happened," Janas said.
I reached out to the City Attorney's office to ask questions about the claims process, but did not hear back.
Click Here to find out how to file a claim with the city of Milwaukee.
Lisa Abbott's family has started a GoFundMe for their losses. If you're interested in donating, click here.
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.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
