More Flooding Is Possible This Week

Cars drive through a flooded South 43rd Street across from Jackson Park, heavy rainfall caused flooding throughout Milwaukee. Heavy rainfall and flooding could hit the area again later this week. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

After storms in August and April caused flooding, downed trees, property damage and road closures across Milwaukee,  some residents question what is being done to protect them from future weather-related damage.

With more severe weather expected this week, including the potential for flash floods, we asked local leaders and officials about their preparation plans.

According to the National Weather Service, Milwaukee could experience severe weather, including heavy rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday.

Some officials said both August’s historic floods and April’s severe weather are not typical. Others encouraged residents to stay prepared as severe weather becomes more common.

What’s being done

People ride scooters toward several stuck cars underneath the railroad crossing bridge on West Burleigh Street after heavy rainfall caused flooding throughout Milwaukee on April 16. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

According to a Milwaukee County spokesperson, its Office of Emergency Management is working in coordination with the members of the Extreme Weather Task Force to monitor the upcoming storms and prepare for any potential safety issues that may arise.

Bill Graffin, public information manager for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, or MMSD, said MMSD is always doing everything possible to ensure plants are good to go.

“If there are things we can do like pause construction or something to prepare then, we’ll do that,” he said. “Both August and April’s flood were pretty out of the ordinary for the Milwaukee area.”

The Department of Public Works is preparing for severe weather by looking into spots known to flood excessively.

Tiffany Shepherd, marketing and communications officer for the Department of Public Works, said that the significant flooding experienced in Milwaukee resulted from rainfall that were not typical, but she also acknowledged more frequent and intense storms.

“Ahead of potential storms, the Department of Public Works is performing its typical underpass inspections and cleanings,” Shepherd said. “We are also investigating and cleaning several known trouble spots as needed to help ensure stormwater can move through the system as efficiently as possible.”

‘Know how to prepare yourself’

Jene Tate works on illustrating notes during day two of the Milwaukee Justice Strategy Blitz at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, on May 28. (Photo by Meredith Melland)

Shalina Ali, a member of the Milwaukee Justice Strategy Blitz on Flooding and Resilience, said practical preparedness measures remain important while larger infrastructure solutions are pursued.

The Milwaukee Justice Strategy Blitz is a coalition examining flooding through the lenses of infrastructure and policy, grassroots advocacy and services, and community education and resilience.

“At this point, the biggest lesson we can take away is to know how to prepare yourself,” she said. “There’s so much work that needs to happen and a lot of work is starting to be done to address flooding. But we’re not necessarily there yet.”

Right now, Ali said, residents who know their homes are vulnerable to flooding should take precautions ahead of storms, including protecting valuables from water, monitoring forecasts and identifying family members, neighbors or services that can provide assistance.

“Trash pickup is critical,” Ali said. “Having a support system ready so that you can have immediate help is going to be critical. Making sure in the areas that tend to flood, like your basements, that you pick things up off the floor and move them to another area, that’s going to be critical.”

Looking ahead

Ali said the Milwaukee Justice Strategy Blitz is working to address weather emergencies on a larger scale.

“We want to help figure out how to support increased services and emergency response systems so that people have immediate support when they’re experiencing flooding,” she said. “What people are experiencing as a result of flooding is very adverse. It’s not a one-story-fits-all situation.”

She said city officials, the Department of Public Works, community organizations and residents all have a role to play in improving resilience against future floods.

Looking ahead, Ali said conversations must include housing conditions, roof maintenance and access to resources that help homeowners protect their properties.

Advocates are also using art and public engagement to keep attention on the issue. Through the Milwaukee Justice Strategy Blitz and TRUE Skool, artists are developing a public mural inspired by stories, concerns and ideas shared by residents during recent community discussions on flooding and resilience.

“We believe that art is one of those vehicles to make sure that the conversation continues and stays at the forefront for our city,” said Ali, who is executive director of TRUE Skool, a nonprofit that uses art to engage youth and others in social justice education.

The coalition plans to share recommendations and strategies developed through the Milwaukee Justice Strategy Blitz during TRUE Skool’s Summer Park Jam weekend on Saturday, Aug. 15, near the one-year anniversary of last year’s historic floods. That event will take place at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water St.

Other recommendations from the community

Teens and young adults from Flood Hope 500 prepare to assist North Side residents with disaster relief after the August flood. (Photo provided by Vaun Mayes)

Vaun Mayes, founder of the ComForce MKE-Disaster Relief Division and an organizer of the grassroots group Flood Hope 500, said residents have thoughts on what could help.

“I’ve seen residents suggest maybe lights or alarms that flash and warn people before approaching flooded and unsafe areas,” he said. “Which I believe is a great idea.”

Flood Hope 500 organizers Mayes, Aziz Abdullah, Montreal Cain and JaQai Ali have helped residents with water pumping, debris removal, mold remediation and provided other flood recovery support in prior weather emergencies.

“I also believe the city should prioritize auditing and assessing MMSD and their ability to manage and handle storms and water to those levels so back ups aren’t as prevalent of an issue,” Mayes said. “I’ve seen whistleblowers raise concerns about the conditions and management of that facility.”

Here’s more recent flood coverage from NNS

Here’s what you can do if you experienced damage from the storms in Milwaukee.

Here’s how Milwaukee’s sewer system functions, and why we flooded in August and April.

Did we really have to dump 2 billion gallons of sewage into local waterways after the April floods?

A worker with the Milwaukee Department of Public Works unclogs a storm drain after heavy rainfall caused flooding throughout Milwaukee on April 16. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.