‘Unheard Of’: Milwaukee Officials Reflect on Record Floods, Push FEMA Damage Reports

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Civic Media) – Milwaukee’s fire and emergency crews faced an unprecedented weekend as record rainfall flooded the area, with leaders looking back at the response and wanting to make sure people know how to recover.

Historic rain hit Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties, dumping between 5.5 and over 12 inches of rain in several areas. The heavy downpour caused widespread flash flooding, power outages, and cancellations, including the Wisconsin State Fair. Some parts of Milwaukee recorded nearly 15 inches, making it one of the heaviest rainfall events on record for the area

Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said the nonstop, heavy rain far exceeded forecasts, forcing his department to completely change the way it operates.

“We switch our entire mode of communicating and deployment.” Lipski said Monday on The Maggie Daun Show. “We go to a task force model so that we group some of our resources together and they become the sole responders for some of the non-life-critical responses. And this keeps the rest of our resources available for the life-critical.”

Between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. that first night, firefighters and rescuers handled 614 calls — water rescues, medical emergencies and fires, all while regular emergencies like heart attacks and car crashes kept coming in. “That is unheard of. Unheard of,” Lipski said.

Help poured in from neighboring counties, with full fire crews and trucks sent into the city. Lipski called the mutual aid effort key, “we had Racine, we had Waukesha, Washington, Ozaukee County sent full compliments on rigs, ready to go. Fire apparatus, fire engines, ladder trucks, paramedic units, ambulances, it was incredible to see. And I can’t thank those folks enough, but it was a real story about cooperation.”

The flooding was so severe that even Milwaukee’s deep tunnel system, designed to capture stormwater and prevent sewer backups, was overwhelmed. Milwaukee County Emergency Management Director Cassandra Liebel said the storm was “probably a once-in-a-generation type of storm.”

She urged people to report any home or property damage by calling 2-1-1. The data helps the county assess the scope of the disaster and apply for federal aid from FEMA. “What FEMA is doing is trying to come in and help us rebuild any damages,” Liebel said, encouraging homeowners and renters to review their policies.

While officials continue to focus on recovery, they stressed safety. Residents who feel at immediate risk should call 911. For non-emergency needs, like help with housing, food or cleanup, they should use the 2-1-1 system. That will connect them to the county’s Emergency Operations Center.

Governor Tony Evers declared a State of Emergency on Monday. He said the state is committed to providing every available resource to help affected residents and protect critical infrastructure, while praising the around-the-clock efforts of emergency crews and utility workers.

In Milwaukee, the Red Cross is operating shelters at Holler Park and Washington Park Senior Center to help those forced from their homes by severe flooding. Officials say the sites are providing essentials, comfort, and safety to anyone in need.

Despite the scale of the flooding, officials said there were no reported deaths, a sign, they say, that early warnings made a difference in one of Milwaukee’s most impactful weather events in decades.