Cleanup underway in Racine following flooding from heavy rains

RACINE COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Cleanup continues for people who dealt with flooding from heavy rains Sunday in Racine. City crews say they're here to help.

People who live in Racine say they're still picking up water damaged items from their basements and bringing it out to the curb. Board of public works officials say they need your help to make sure it all gets picked up quickly.

Tim Toutant has been working with his family since Monday cleaning up the mess he says happened so fast.

"I came down at 7:30 and the puddle [had gotten] bigger around the drain, so I started picking everything up off the ground," said Toutant. "By 8:30, it was just coming in, just coming in non-stop."

Toutant says, luckily everything lost is replaceable, which is why he's thankful the Racine Department of Public Works is making it easy to get rid of everything.

Racine Department of Public Works Board Commissioner John Rooney says it's an important but expensive operation.

"The number of pieces of equipment and operators and laborers that we have out here and back at our yard processing and compacting this material is about $16,000 a day operation," said Rooney.

To save taxpayer dollars, they're asking for people to put electronics and objects that might have Freon in them in separate piles from wet furniture and other items.

"The more time it takes for us to pick through that material is less time we're going to have going to the next property and helping them out," said Rooney.

He says don't bring toxic chemicals out either, and when you call for service, make sure your trash is already on the curb.

Toutant says at least he doesn't have to worry about paying to have everything hauled away.

"It's a little depressing. You know, but you got to work through it," said Toutant.

DPW officials tell CBS 58 they're hoping to have this all wrapped up on Friday.