NEW BERLIN, Wis. — A New Berlin family is facing heartbreak after recent floods destroyed their elderly father's home, leaving him to start over with almost nothing at 77 years old.
John Cataldo had to be rescued by his family from his home the night the floods hit New Berlin.
"We had to walk through the water here, and the water was moving our feet as we were walking," Cataldo said.
He knew the situation was serious when he evacuated, but had no idea about the extent of destruction he would find upon returning.
"The whole house was flooded," he said.
Like many residents affected by the flooding, Cataldo discovered his insurance would not cover the water damage to his house. Living on a fixed income, he now faces the daunting challenge of rebuilding his life from scratch.
"I have been a hard worker all my life, and we saved for this house when we moved from the north side," Cataldo said.
His daughters are concerned about their father's future and the emotional toll of losing precious memories.
"I feel bad for my Dad. He lost everything," said Laurie Cataldofuchs, John's daughter.
The loss extends beyond the physical structure of the home. As a widower, Cataldo has lost many treasured items that belonged to his late wife.
"Trying to hold on, and there is nothing left to hold onto. He has to start over," said Michelle Bohlmann, another of John's daughters.
Watch: 77-year-old New Berlin widower loses everything in devastating floods
As we continue to hear from community members affected by these floods, many like Cataldo are hoping FEMA will provide assistance, with few other options available.
"We are helping as much as we can, but we still need help," Bohlmann said.
The family has established a GoFundMe campaign to help John rebuild. You can find a link here.
This story was reported by a journalist 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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