Milwaukee storm damage: DPW crews field hundreds of service calls
Milwaukee storm damage cleanup still underway
Milwaukee officials say more than 500 calls were reported after strong winds knocked down trees Monday, leaving damage across the south side as crews work extended shifts to clear debris.
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW) has been responding to hundreds of calls for uprooted trees throughout the city. Now, the cleanup is well underway.
Tree damage cleanup in Milwaukee
DPW calls for service
What we know:
The DPW crews have been out since Monday afternoon, when powerful gusts of wind knocked down trees and led to thousands being without power.
The crews have been making their way through hundreds of calls for service. Approximately 44% of reported calls are classified as critical, including whole trees down, branches fully blocking roadways, and trees or limbs on homes and vehicles.
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Forestry crews are working 12-hour shifts and will continue extended operations throughout the week.
Tree damage cleanup in Milwaukee
DPW said it received more than 500 calls related to downed trees following the storm, with 58% of those reports coming from the south side.
Prioritizing the mess
Dig deeper:
Officials tell FOX6 News the DPW is prioritizing trees blocking streets. They want to clear those for emergency crews and neighbors.
Trees and branches that fell on cars and homes are the next priority. DPW officials say full cleanup will happen after all high-risk situations are addressed.
Tree damage cleanup in Milwaukee
The city engineer explained why some areas in the city saw worse damage than others.
"Unfortunately, with how saturated the soils have been, We obviously had snow melt, then we got a lot of rain. The ground is very wet, that means that in some cases very large, old trees will end up, the whole thing will uproot," said Kevin Muhs, city engineer.
Homes damaged, streets blocked
Local perspective:
Near 20th and Scott, the roadway remains closed after a large tree fell onto a home and tore up the sidewalk.
Neighbor Quentin Seals said he witnessed the moment powerful winds toppled the tree.
"I was like this is crazy! This is crazy!" said Seals. "That tree has to be at least 100-something years old."
The damage impacted nearby homes, including one owned by Lucy Coss Y Leon, who said she had concerns about the tree for years.
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"Look at the sidewalk. My stairs got shifted to the side. I would really like to know what I can do because this was not my fault," said Lucy Coss Y Leon. "I really hope the city is able to do something about it if that's the case and is able to resolve all this."
Seals said the damage extended beyond homes.
"Two cars were sitting down there and a tree was just front down on the cars, destroyed," he said. "The people came out, and they were hysterical and crying."
Call for assistance
What you can do:
Residents should continue to report issues at milwaukee.gov/click4action, the Milwaukee Mobile Action App, or by calling 414-286-CITY (2489). Pictures are helpful for crews to appropriately prioritize the requests. They can be attached to the submission.
Milwaukee storm damage: DPW crews field hundreds of service calls
Milwaukee DPW crews are working 12-hour shifts to clear trees downed by recent high winds, prioritizing those blocking streets and threatening homes or vehicles.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by the City of Milwaukee and previous FOX6 News coverage.