MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Nearly a month after historic flooding devastated parts of Menomonee Falls, piles of ripped carpeting and destroyed belongings continue to fill subdivisions as residents wait for village cleanup crews to clear the debris.
Mounds of flood-damaged furniture and flooring sit on curbs throughout neighborhoods off Mill Road and Lilly Road, creating what residents describe as an eyesore.
"We are so ready to be over it, move on, get passed it," Menomonee Falls resident whose finished basement was ruined in the flooding, Bill Meindl said.
Meindl had to rip up carpeting and throw out furniture, including couches that were only a couple of years old.
Watch: Menomonee Falls flood debris collection continues nearly a month after historic flooding
"It is definitely a constant, sad reminder of what took place," Meindl said.
The cleanup process has been slower than residents hoped.
The Menomonee Falls village manager said the "volume of debris is startling," and work could extend into next week because crews can only operate when the Orchard Ridge Landfill is open.
"What's normally a beautiful neighborhood, kinda an eye sore right now," Meindl said.
Tommy Jackson, another resident dealing with flood damage, has cleaned up the mess inside his home but is frustrated waiting for the outdoor debris to be removed.
"It's definitely a little frustrating," Jackson said. "I know my dad obviously very frustrated with it, and he was thinking about possibly renting something just to get it out of here."
Jackson is also concerned about potential damage to his lawn from the debris sitting on his property.
"I mean, I don't want to see what the grass under it looks like either," Jackson said.
The village cannot work longer days or weekends because it can only pick up debris and drop it off when the landfill is open. The Orchard Ridge Landfill is accepting all the extra garbage at no charge to the village.
Village Manager Mark Fitzgerald sent the following statement:
"We expect that we will be substantially done by the end of next week. The volume of debris is startling and we take our dump truck loads directly to the Orchard Ridge Landfill for dumping. Therefore, we can only work when we have access to the landfill. People have asked why we don’t work longer days and weekends and the answer is that we don’t have landfill access. Please let me know if you have additional questions."
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