The Brief
- Some flood victims in southeast Wisconsin have been stuck waiting to report damage to 211.
- Those reports are important to unlock possible federal money for Wisconsin.
- Flood victims can also report damage by using an online form.
MILWAUKEE – Some flood victims are stuck waiting to report damage to 211. Those reports are important to unlock possible federal money for Wisconsin.
Flood reporting problems
What they’re saying:
Treasures now trashed. Shinita McKindley’s Milwaukee basement flooded in the historic storms. She called 211, hanging up a few times after waiting and waiting.
“I’ve always got me and my kids out the mud every time that was not a time that I couldn’t do it, but this time, this hit me so hard to the point where I don’t know how to come back from this. I don’t know how to come back from this. I don’t know how to ask nobody for help either. It’s just stressful,” McKinley said. “We don’t have no help. I’ve been calling FEMA. I’ve been calling 211…they’ve been saying, like, ‘Oh, we’re gonna bring a cleaning kit.’ Nobody brought nothing.”
Damage in 9-county region
What we know:
By Thursday afternoon, more than 13,000 people reported damage in a nine-county region. That is according to data from the nonprofit called IMPACT. It runs the 24/7 helpline in southeast Wisconsin.
About 85% of the 13,000 reports for flooding are from Milwaukee County. Next up – Waukesha and Washington counties. …