WEST ALLIS — Hundreds of West Allis residents are facing a difficult recovery after recent flooding destroyed homes and belongings, with many insurance claims being denied.
READ ALSO: West Allis homeowner faces total loss after flash floods shift foundation
"This is their safe space, and it's no longer safe," Jessica Lockerman said.
The Lockerman family's basement, once a refuge, is now unrecognizable. The ceiling is gone, the walls are torn down, the support beams are cracked, and steam still rises from the drying carpet.
Appliances were flooded, and both Lockerman and her wife's cars were totaled in the disaster that has affected many throughout Southeast Wisconsin this week.
Lockerman says her insurance claim was denied, she's had trouble reaching city officials, and now she's hoping FEMA will eventually assist.
"What do you do? Every turn is a no," Lockerman said.
She describes widespread devastation throughout her neighborhood.
"He lost his whole woodshop, they lost most of their house, they lost their animal, they lost everything, they lost everything, they lost everything for their business, we lost everything, our neighbors don't have a house they can go to," Lockerman said.
Watch: West Allis flood victims face insurance denials while waiting for federal aid
According to data from Impact 211, Milwaukee County has had almost 6,300 reports filed following flooding — the most of any county. In the 53219 ZIP code, which covers West Allis, 476 reports have been filed, the fourth most of any ZIP code in the county.
With hundreds of people losing everything, the community is trying to step up.
"There's definitely an uptick, new customers especially," said Jason Wilson, Executive Director of Father Gene's Help Center.
Wilson helps run Father Gene's Help Center, a free community closet in West Allis. People can visit once every 90 days to get free clothing items, no questions asked.
He says that while need is more frequent, so are the donations.
"We're a lot busier, however, Milwaukee always comes out. Milwaukee is always there because our donations increase, too," Wilson said.
While this assistance helps, much more is still needed for the long road to recovery ahead.
"That's it, we just need help," Lockerman said.
The Lockerman family has set up a GoFundMe as they look to recover. A link can be found by clicking 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.
