MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee mother and her four daughters escaped their home early Sunday morning as floodwaters from Lincoln Creek rapidly filled their house near 60th and Custer.
Mai Vang and her family woke to the terrifying sight of rising water entering their home.
"We're so scared that the water could rise even higher," Vang said.
The family quickly realized they needed to evacuate as the situation became increasingly dangerous.
"We figured we can't stay here because, you know, we heard cracking," Vang said.
Their escape through the front door became a harrowing experience as the water continued to rise around them.
"We all just held on to each other because the water was waist deep, and it could have been way worse because the water rides so fast," Vang said.
TMJ4 spoke with several neighbors in the area who described hearing the rushing waters in the early morning hours. Many residents told me they've never seen flooding this severe in the neighborhood before, despite living there for decades.
Watch: Milwaukee family escapes, loses home to flooding
The family had to interlock arms to make their way through the rushing water up 60th Street to reach a relative's house and eventually dryer ground.
When they returned Sunday morning, the devastating reality became clear.
"I broke down in tears and cried and cried," Vang said.
Their home has been condemned due to the crumbling foundation, making it unsafe to enter. All three of their cars were totaled from water damage.
"We don't really know where to start, you know, just take it day by day," Vang said.
On Tuesday, that meant helping neighbors and family on the block with cleanup while waiting on insurance. Vang and her daughters are staying with family as they process the trauma from that night.
"My niece will open the cupboards. I'm thinking the walls are cracking and I would just wake up. It's just like you're having a post traumatic, you know?" Vang said.
Despite losing nearly everything, Vang remains grateful that she and her daughters survived the ordeal. She hopes the government will step and help her neighborhood during their time of need.
This story was reported by Mike Beiermeister 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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