Milwaukee historic flooding; family searches for missing man

Family searches for missing man after Milwaukee flooding

A Milwaukee family is searching for 59-year-old Miguel Angel Flores, who has been missing since last week?s historic flooding.

MILWAUKEE - The family of a missing Milwaukee man fears the worst.

What we know:

Family hasn’t heard from Miguel Angel Flores in days. They say he was living in a homeless encampment that was washed away during last week’s flooding.

Arturo Vazquez’s uncle had been living there for the last couple of years.

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"There’s still so much debris everywhere here," said Arturo Vazquez. "You can see how high the water raised."

The bridge beneath 1st and Chase is normally filled with tents and mattresses, but flood waters recently washed them away.

"It’s completely empty," Vazquez said.

Vazquez came looking for his uncle. He said the 59-year-old was living here by choice and spoke to family daily. 

They haven’t heard from him in more than a week.

"We want to just have some closure to this," said Vazquez.

The family fears the worst, especially after learning the bodies of at least two others Flores was supposed to be with last Saturday were discovered in the water in different areas of the city.

A 72-year-old man was found in the water at Marina Drive. A 48-year-old man was found in the water at Harbor Drive.

Local perspective:

Linda Alvarado and Donnalisa Hernandez are part of an outreach group that has come to the encampment weekly with food and prayer.

"It just breaks our hearts. It really does," said Alvarado.

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"For families not to have closure, for the community not to be able to grieve them is devastating. It’s painful," said Hernandez.

For Vazquez and his family, the search has just begun. They worry they may never get the answers they need.

"It’s been kind of heartbreaking just knowing that my uncle could be out there somewhere in the river," he said.

What you can do:

Family members have been doing a small search of their own and are looking for any help they can get.

Anyone with information about where Flores might be is asked to contact the Milwaukee Police Department.