'It's a real disruption': Wauwatosa business owners concerned as insurance coverage seems unlikely for flood damage

WAUWATOSA, Wis. (CBS 58) — In the days after the historic flooding, many are in the process of counting their losses, and figuring out finances is an added stressor.

Those along the Menomonee River in Wauwatosa are now on clean-up duty and as they sift through the damage, they're concerned if insurance will cover anything at all.

"We're talking about ten, fifteen yards, where it's moved up like a carpet," said Andreas Davi, as he saw the ruin at Hart Park Stadium up-close for the first time.

It's the home field for his soccer club, the FC Milwaukee Torrent.

Their rented storage space under the bleachers took on several feet of water Sunday, Aug. 10.

Davi estimates the team lost $35,000 worth of branded merchandise that was meant to be sold.

Now, he is concerned that none of it could be covered by insurance, because Hart Park is designated as a federal floodplain.

"I don't know right now how the next few months look for me as a business owner," Davi said.

Insurance woes are also rippling through businesses in the Village of Wauwatosa.

"What a lot of us found out this week is that they don't cover anything related to flood," said Bill Haley, the owner of Vendetta Coffee Bar.

The cafe expects to be closed for at least two weeks, dealing with thousands of dollars worth of damage in their basement.

"Pretty much anything that's down there is garbage, because it's no longer sanitary," he explained.

Haley was told by his provider that flood insurance is separate -and hard to get at all.

"It's a bummer," Haley said. "You pay so much for insurance, and they never give you any of your money back, and instead they use it to buy rights for baseball stadiums."

Next door, Cafe Hollander expects to be closed through September, after losing most of their kitchen equipment to floodwaters.

"There's lead times on equipment, the electrical work is going to take some time, we've got a bunch of flooring work that needs to happen, we have to rip a lot of the walls out to make sure that we got all the moisture, re-do the drywall," said Eric Wagner, CEO of The Lowlands Group, who owns Cafe Hollander.

He was also told that an insurance payout for flood damage is unlikely.

"It's going to be an incredible financial hit, and it's a real disruption," Wagner said.

Thankfully, all 70 employees from Hollander's Wauwatosa location are able to keep working at other Lowlands-owned restaurants.

"We don't know if there's going to be federal funds. That stuff is really up in the air right now," Wagner said.

That remains the big question: How much financial aid, if any, will be granted by the state or federal government?

While business owners wait for that answers The Village of Wauwatosa Business Improvement District is trying to help with an online flood relief fundraiser.

All of the money donated will be distributed by the BID to village businesses in need.

You can help the Village of Wauwatosa by donating here.