Baldwin, local officials tour damaged homes and list key next steps for flood victims

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Amid water-logged belongings lining the curbsides in a northwest side neighborhood Friday, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson for a tour of homes damaged by historic flooding this past weekend.

Officials also offered their most detailed update yet on the scope of the damage that has upended thousands of lives in southeastern Wisconsin.

Crowley said the floods have caused an estimated $23 million worth of damage of infrastructure alone in Milwaukee County. Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW) Commissioner Jerrel Kruschke said inspectors identified at least 2,000 homes that had sustained significant damage.

One of those houses belongs to Gregory and Tracy Hardwick. Their home on N. 80th St. near W. Hampton Ave. was one of many houses where floodwaters washed away much of the foundation.

Baldwin, Crowley and Johnson toured the home. Earlier this week, Baldwin joined Democratic Congresswoman Gwen Moore and Republican Congressman Bryan Steil in asking FEMA to declare Wisconsin is eligible for federal disaster relief.

CBS 58 reached out to GOP Sen. Ron Johnson's office to ask if Johnson has toured any flood-impacted neighborhoods and if he's asked the Trump administration to approve federal aid for Wisconsin. Johnson's office did not respond Friday.

For the mayor, the visit was personal as the Hardwicks are his aunt and uncle. At one point, Johnson asked if the Super Nintendo video game system was down there.

"Yeah," Hardwick responded. "All the games. I told you all my games were down there!"

While Hardwick was mostly in good spirits during the visit, noting an inspector told him the damage was reparable, he got emotion when the subject turned to family keepsakes that were lost in the flood.

"That's what hurts me more than anything else," he said tearfully. "I cannot replace them."

The damage at the Hardwicks' home was worse than what was visible at other houses. Edward and Lillian Staples said they'd already been forced to spend a small fortune this week.

"We had to go out, and instead of waiting for the insurance company, we had to go out and purchase a water heater and a new air conditioning and heating system," Edward said.

The Staples' next-door neighbors, Jill and Larry Wolf, said they still weren't sure what needed to be replaced.

"We don't know if our water heater and furnace and air conditioner is working," Larry said. "We need to have somebody come out and check that."

The two couples said they've lived next to each other for 41 years. While they'd seen serious flooding before, Lillian Staples said this storm was the worst she'd seen in the neighborhood.

Baldwin, Crowley and Johnson all said they believed southeast Wisconsin had met the threshold for FEMA to find the state qualifies for federal disaster aid. 

The officials called on affected residents to submit insurance claims, even if they're sure to be denied, and to submit disaster reports through the state, either by calling 211 or filling out a report online.

"They need to file the claim," Baldwin said. "Because we need to know that information in order to see whether there's enough uninsured private loss for FEMA to provide assistance to private individuals."

Baldwin said FEMA would conduct two different assessments; one would evaluate damages to public infrastructure while the other would examine losses incurred by private property owners. Crowley said he expected FEMA to have people on the ground within a week or two.

The DPW is extending its curbside pick-up and drop-off site hours into next week. The north and south side locations are typically closed on Mondays, but they'll be open again this Monday.

Kruschke said the city is still suspending brush and recycling pickup efforts so workers can maximize their time collecting flood-related waste from curbsides.