Damaged goods to the curb

Residents clean out basements as waters recede

BY BRIDGET THORESON
AND JANINE ANDERSON
Journal Times

Wednesday, June 11, 2008 11:46 PM CDT

RACINE — Piles of belongings were stacked along city streets Wednesday as residents cleaned out their flood-ravaged homes.

Valerie Hamilton, 49, stood by a trailer loaded with ruined furnishings outside her home at 1811 Domanik Drive Wednesday. She got 4 feet of water in her basement, which destroyed, among other things, extra chairs for the family’s barbershop at 2245 Mead St.

"Most of our equipment was destroyed," Hamilton said. "It was a mess. It was a nightmare."

They started moving stuff out of the house on Monday, she said. Neighbors offered to help her clear out her basement, and her father and other family members helped as well, she said. Hamilton said she felt lucky the damage hadn’t been worse.

In the city, Department of Public Works employees were helping people with homes in the flood zone to get rid of any water left in basements.

"We’re continuing to help residents by assisting them by pumping out their basements," said Rick Jones, Racine’s commissioner of public works. "Those are residents that were directly impacted by flood waters of the Root River, the people living in the area of Lincoln Park, Island Park, Park View Drive. Then we’ve started collecting any debris people have placed at the curb line as a special

collection."

People in the flood area can call (262) 636-9126 to get their names put on a list for pumping. DPW crews also were knocking on doors in affected neighborhoods to make sure anyone who needs assistance can get it.

"When we started on Monday afternoon, some basements were completely full," Jones said. "Now we’re typically seeing 4 feet."

Alice Hart, 61, of 317 Luedtke Ave., was making a list of the items being brought up from the basement when a truck came by to collect the garbage stacked outside homes. Pages of her notepad were filled with the list of items they started moving out around 6 a.m. Wednesday.

"Some of it, we may be able to clean up," Hart said. "I think we’re doing quite well for how long we’ve been at it."

The Caledonia/Mount Pleasant Health Department is responding to calls with packets on flood backup, getting wells tested and preventing mold and standing water, as well as the American Red Cross’ flood recovery booklet, said Margaret Gesner, health officer with the department. People can call the department, which also covers Sturtevant and North Bay, at (262) 835-6429.

Jones said it typically takes 60 to 90 minutes to pump out a basement. He expects they will finish pumping basements out by the end of the day Thursday.

"Really, things are improving quite quickly," he said. "We were able to get Spring Street reopened and the streets in the impacted area were all flushed and swept before they were opened.

"Things are returning to normal, even though I’m sure inside people’s homes it’s another story."

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