Wisconsin’s 211 helpline received more than 11,500 requests for flood-related services in the days following the Aug. 9-10 torrential rains and 1,000-year flooding event.
Most of the calls — roughly 85% — came from Milwaukee County. Others came from Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties.
The helpline saw a spike in calls on Tuesday and Wednesday, with over 3,100 reports each day.
The confidential helpline, which is run by a private nonprofit, helps with a wide range of needs, like housing, food, transportation, and healthcare. It’s the best connection to resources at this point, Milwaukee Health Commissioner Michael Totoraitis said.
According to the 211 data collected, there were more than 4,000 reports of structural damage and close to 8,000 reports of utility disruptions.
Impact 211 also made roughly 5,000 referrals for storm-related needs, including connecting people to the county’s office of emergency services, post disaster cleanup tools and supplies, disaster food stamps and food pantries.
The 211 data — provided to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel up to the afternoon of Aug. 14 — also provides a view of the extent of the damage, and which areas were hardest hit.
Here’s what the data tells us.
North side neighborhoods reported most damage, utility issues
Preliminary 211 data showed the highest number of requests came out of Milwaukee County’s northwest side, along with West Milwaukee, in particular from ZIP codes 53218, 53209, and 53216.
The 53218 ZIP code, which includes the north side’s Silver Spring and Hampton Heights neighborhoods, stood out with 1,851 damage reports, the highest among all the ZIP codes listed. It also had the highest number of utility disruptions, with 1,448 reports, and 850 structural damage reports.
The average water depth reported in this ZIP code was 26 inches.
Residents reported an average of 17.77 inches of water in homes
The basement water reports across Milwaukee County averaged 17.77 inches.
The deepest average basement water was reported in 53219, just west of Jackson Park on the city’s south side, at 35 inches.
The measurements are all self-reported, according Vickie Boneck, the spokesperson for IMPACT 211.
The numbers continue to change as 211 continues to receive calls and messages.
For example, Boneck noted that as water is receding in basements, they’re seeing a decrease in the average inches reported.
211 reports are used to determine where to send aid
Milwaukee officials have repeatedly urged residents to report damage to 211. The reports help bolster the state’s push for FEMA and other federal assistance to address damage from the flooding.
The reports also helps the city identify the hardest-hit areas. For example, the Milwaukee Health Department is using the data to determine where to send cleaning kits.
Totoraitis encouraged residents to submit damage reports either by calling or submitting a report online when call times are longer. And, he said, residents should urge others to report damage as well.
“That 211 data is really guiding what the city can do,” Totoraitis said. “And then as we get – fingers crossed – that money unlocked from the feds.” And having clear information from residents will help officials prioritize where to send that support, he said.
He also urged residents to use their insurance, take photos of damage and write down a timeline to help the claims process move forward.
How other Milwaukee agencies assess damage
Other data collected by the city is also helping guide its response. That includes information from the Department of Public Works, which is marking areas that need bulky waste pickup.
The Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services is also inspecting homes in the city and neighboring suburbs to assess the extent of the damage.
As if the afternoon of Aug. 14, there had been 2,916 homes inspected. Of those, 5% were destroyed, 55% had major damage, 17% had minor damage and 12% were listed as “affected,” the lowest level of concern, according to the department.
In 11% of the homes, inspectors were unable to gain entry to the premises.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How many people were affected by floods and rain? 211 data provides an early picture.
Reporting by Vanessa Swales and Alison Dirr, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
