A series of thunderstorms ripped through Green Bay Wednesday, causing flash flooding and bringing golf ball-sized hail.
The post Green Bay recovering from flash flooding after a series of storms ripped through appeared first on WPR.
Flood Hope 500 organizers are raising concerns about the city of Milwaukee’s policies and calling for changes as residents continue to face flood recovery challenges.
The group was created by a group of community organizers to help North Side residents with disaster relief after flooding.
Flood Hope 500 organizers Vaun Mayes, Aziz Abdullah, Montreal Cain and JaQai Ali help residents with water pumping, debris removal and mold remediation and provide other flood recovery support.
“We’re always dealing with a situation where the government moves slower than the people,” Abdullah said. “Flood Hope 500 shouldn’t exist.”
With backgrounds working with youths and younger adults, the organizers were able to also include individuals between the ages of 13 and 25 to volunteer and get compensated for their work.
Abdullah said after the latest flood that Milwaukee lacks innovation and the financial capacity to come up with quick solutions.
“The mayor in New York had the fiscal capacity to hire residents and pay them $30 an hour to stop at neighborhoods and shovel snow,” he said.
When disasters occur, Abdullah thinks the city should be open about its capacity and give its residents the opportunity to help.
Then, work to reallocate funds from sources like the American Rescue Plan Act, funds from property tax levies and more.
“For Flood Hope 500, we catalyzed our own money and resources before anybody ever gave us a dollar,” Abdullah said. “We were just showing up because we knew people needed help.”
Abdullah said he went to Ozaukee County during the August flood to purchase four water pumps, and a local donor also pitched in to help.
Mayes said there were times when Flood Hope 500 had to complete unfinished work by the city or other organizations.
“You have some residents who may have started with an organization, but then that organization didn’t complete all the work, so we had to go in and pick up where they left off,” Mayes said.
Mayes, also founder of ComForce MKE-Disaster Relief Division, said he feels like the city of Milwaukee hasn’t put much thought into investing in disaster relief, despite the recurrence of severe weather.
“I don’t want them to drop the ball, so I would encourage them to be more inclusive and open to having things in place when it comes to this,” he said. “So we’re not scrambling every time this happens.”
He said there should be a shared system or database developed where flood relief tasks are tracked across all organizations because it can be hard to determine which homes have been helped or not during the recovery phase.
“You have bigger organizations that are doing their own thing and have their own listing of people that they help,” Mayes said.
Abdullah also said that the city should build more trusted partnerships with organizations that can assist in emergencies.
Abdullah said that Flood Hope 500 drew financial support from organizations that saw its collaborations and also that they were involving youths in efforts. Among them were the Brewers Community Foundation and Mental Health America.
Other financial support comes from Safe & Sound Inc., the fiscal operator that manages the organization’s finances and gives reimbursements.
He said both are an example of how collaborations can draw financial support and quick problem solving.
“The city doesn’t have an agile structure to respond to those mechanisms and measures,” he said.
Abdullah said he recalls when people used to have more time and stability to help each other. Today, many residents don’t have the support they need, so it becomes harder to help others, he said.
“Volunteering is more of a privilege today,” he said. “The people who are closest to the issue also are experiencing the highest level of disenfranchisement, disengagement and divestment that we’ve seen in modern history.”
Mayes said there are people who mean well and want to help when disasters occur but can’t always do that without compensation.
“If you get people in the mindset to only work when they get paid for it, that kind of does a little bit of a disservice,” Mayes said. “When dealing with certain things like disaster relief, it must be done carefully.”
If you are a youth or young adult interested in becoming a part of Flood Hope 500, click here to register.
According to Mayes, participants can receive $50 for a half day or $100 for a whole day.
Individuals who want to donate can give monetarily or supply industrial garbage bags, water pumps, gloves and other supplies.
Contact Mayes at 262-289-0412 or email comforcemke@gmail.com to arrange a time to drop off supplies.
If you are a North Side resident in need of assistance from Flood Hope 500, click here.
Disaster relief organizers push for changes in Milwaukee’s flood response is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
Initial damage assessment reports indicate that this month’s flood damage is smaller in scale to last year’s storms and will not meet the requirements to request federal assistance, according to county and city officials.
Milwaukee County is coordinating with municipal emergency managers to evaluate damage using resident reports to 2-1-1 and communication with local and regional partners, according to Emily Tau, public affairs director with the Milwaukee County Office of the County Executive.
“While the impacts to affected households are significant and taken seriously, at this time, the impacts from this flooding in Milwaukee County do not meet the thresholds required to initiate a FEMA Preliminary Damage Assessment and potential Presidential Disaster Declaration,” Tau said.
Ryan Zollicoffer, director of the City of Milwaukee Office of Emergency Management, said joint teams from the Department of Neighborhood Services and the Milwaukee Fire Department are continuing on-site evaluations of the most impacted residential areas.
Based on preliminary reports, both Zollicoffer and Tau said the magnitude of damage to date appears substantially lower than after August’s flooding, when historic rainfall exceeded 10 inches in parts of Milwaukee. Rainfall totals from April 13 to April 15 topped 5 inches in the city.
Zollicoffer said some residents may be eligible for assistance through the U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loan programs, depending on final damage determinations.
The city and county will then work with the state to determine whether any additional recovery resources or support mechanisms are warranted, he said.
Some elected leaders have expressed interest in exploring options to request aid.
On Wednesday, Gov. Tony Evers announced that he directed Wisconsin Emergency Management to submit a request for FEMA to assist the state in conducting a formal federal preliminary damage assessment from recent extreme storms and flooding throughout the state.
Wisconsin Emergency Management is the division of the state’s Department of Military Affairs that coordinates disaster and emergency responses.
Evers signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency on April 15 and authorized the Wisconsin National Guard to assist in relief and recovery efforts from flooding, hail, strong winds and tornadoes that hit communities across Wisconsin in April.
In an April 17 letter, Evers requested Wisconsin’s two U.S. senators and eight U.S. representatives help urge the Trump administration to reconsider the denials of the state’s requests for assistance from August’s storms and approve outstanding requests.
President Donald Trump approved individual assistance to Wisconsin homeowners and residents after the August flooding. However, the administration denied requests for assistance to repair public infrastructure and for the hazard mitigation grant program.
Wisconsin appealed both decisions to FEMA but was once again denied public assistance and is still waiting on a response for the hazard mitigation grant.
“These denials and delays have left Wisconsin more vulnerable to this next wave of storms and flooding,” Evers wrote.
Wisconsin does not have its own standing assistance program to help property owners make repairs from flooding or storms, according to Wisconsin Emergency Management, the division of the state’s Department of Military Affairs that coordinates disaster and emergency responses.
Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson-Bovell authored a resolution to be introduced at the outset of the new board term in May that requests the county Office of Emergency Management conduct a comprehensive assessment of the damage from April’s storms, according to Erin Caffrey, communications specialist with the Milwaukee County Clerk’s Office.
The countywide review of damage would be used to inform recovery efforts and strengthen future applications for state and federal aid, she said. It would also support the development of a coordinated flood preparedness, response and communications plan that would create a flooding information alert system and help supervisors effectively engage with residents, Caffrey said.
“This resolution is about bringing our partners together, assessing the damage, improving communication with residents and making sure we are better prepared before the next storm hits,” Nicholson-Bovell said in a statement. “Our communities deserve a coordinated response and the long-term investments needed to protect homes, neighborhoods and businesses.”
Ald. Andrea Pratt introduced a communication file to the Milwaukee Common Council to discuss city intersections and areas that are hot spots for flooding, which was on the agenda for a Public Works Committee meeting on Wednesday morning at City Hall.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson, County Executive David Crowley and Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Executive Director Kevin Shafer formed a Flood Mitigation Task Force to evaluate mitigation efforts to reduce impacts from future storms and solicit feedback. It is expected to meet soon.
Anyone can report storm damage or request to be connected to volunteer cleanup resources by calling 2-1-1 or submitting a report online through the 211 Wisconsin website.
The Wisconsin Conference of the United Methodist Church, in partnership with UMCOR and Team Rubicon USA, is organizing 100 volunteers to assist families with cleanup in Milwaukee County in the coming weeks and months, Tau said. The American Red Cross and the Salvation Army are also active in support efforts.
Organizations interested in coordinating with partners through the Southeast Wisconsin Community Organizations Active in Disasters can visit sewicoad.org or contact coadsewi@gmail.com.
Residents who lost food purchased with FoodShare can apply for replacement benefits through the Wisconsin Department of Health Services until the extended deadline of May 4..
Call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 for free, 24/7, confidential, multilingual emotional support.
The Department of Neighborhood Services’ Compliance Loan Program helps owner-occupied properties address building code violations with a no-interest, deferred payment loan. Residents can apply if flood damage is under the purview of the program and they meet the requirements.
Jeremy McGovern, marketing and communications officer for the Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services, said the department would not be opposed to waiving permit fees related to flood damage repairs like it did for the August floods, but doing so would require Common Council authorization.
He also said the city’s Neighborhood Improvement Project inspectors and plan examiners can be resources in helping navigate timelines and repairs.
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
Federal flood assistance unlikely in Milwaukee: Officials discuss next steps is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
The mayor’s office and the Milwaukee Department of Public Works are defending the city’s parking enforcement during last week’s flooding.
From April 15 to April 16, the city issued 4,666 parking citations, according to data provided by the Department of Public Works, or DPW.
Officials said enforcement is still necessary during extreme storm-related conditions.
“Severe weather events make it particularly important for people to obey the posted parking restrictions,” said Jeff Fleming, spokesperson for Mayor Cavalier Johnson. “During rain events, quite a number of parking restrictions are in place to enable full street cleaning.”
Fleming also said flooding can be exacerbated when street cleaning is impeded by parked vehicles.
South Side resident Jacob Quinones said he was too busy dealing with the flood to worry about parking.
“My basement flooded, and I was late to work because of getting towed,” he said.
Parking enforcement looked much different during the historic storms on Aug. 9 through Aug. 10, which also caused severe flooding throughout the city.
According to DPW data, 991 citations were issued on those days, which occurred over the weekend.
The 4,666 parking citations issued on April 15-16 include all standard parking enforcement activity, said Tiffany Shepherd, DPW marketing and communications officer.
Citations were issued earlier on Wednesday before the storm and after conditions improved on Thursday, she said.
She said officers did adapt during the most intense conditions.
During a peak storm window, from roughly 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., parking enforcement continued but focused on responding to complaints, resulting in 141 tickets, said Shepherd.
She said safety concerns limited enforcement during that time.
“Our staff is not going to be driving through flood waters or anything like that. That’s just not safe,” Shepherd said. “For those two hours where things were really bad, no tickets were being issued.”
During the August floods, there was a period when parking enforcement was formally suspended and staff redirected to flood-related work, said Lisa Vargas, administrative specialist with DPW, in an email.
Overnight enforcement was also formally suspended in the days following the storm, from Aug. 11 to Aug. 14. Enforcement was not suspended as a result of last week’s storms.
Staff assisted stranded or abandoned vehicles, conducting 88 free relocation tows, Vargas said. During last week’s floods, four free relocations were provided.
When Quinones’ car was towed near his home on South 13th Street and West Ohio Avenue, he said it left him with no real alternatives.
“It’s my only form of transportation,” he said. “It cost me $566 plus a favor from a friend for the ride to the tow lot.”
Quinones said being ticketed and towed while also dealing with flooding created a great deal of stress. He said the city needs to rethink its approach.
“If severe weather is on the horizon, keep your meter maids and parking checkers safe at home,” he said.
Shepherd emphasized that although most enforcement took place before and after flooding conditions, weather is still not an excuse to park irresponsibly.
“What you’re going to find out is the majority of these tickets don’t have anything to do with anyone being affected by the flood,” she said. “Just because there was bad weather, you can’t block a hydrant.”
The mayor’s office has no plans to forgive tickets issued during last week’s floods, but residents do have an option to appeal.
“The appeal process is pretty straightforward, so we do not have plans for any blanket amnesty,” Fleming said.
People can go through the appeals process if the flood was pertinent to the ticket, and the city will look at that on a case-by-case basis, Shepherd said.
More parking information can be found on the city’s website.
Data shows stark difference in Milwaukee parking enforcement between August and April floods is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
The National Weather Service says at least 14 confirmed tornados hit Wisconsin during last week's spate of severe storms that caused widespread flood damage in areas around Milwaukee and Green Bay.
The post Wisconsin cleaning up after week of storms, 14 tornadoes and extensive flooding appeared first on WPR.
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