If you didn’t experience the devastation of the 1,000-year flood that hit Milwaukee in August of last year, it might be hard to comprehend.
The storms left the area with more than $240 million in damage. Both public and private properties were hit, including more than 1,800 flooded basements.
Families have been rebuilding their lives for months, including Jessi Young’s family. They moved into their spacious, well-tended house in Wauwatosa near the Menomonee River Parkway about 6 years ago.
“It's in this, like, pocket of just really sweet houses, and it's got this vintage, multi-level feel. It's just very cozy. So kind of was a dream,” Young says.
Until August of 2025. Walking into her basement late last month, Young takes us back in time when floodwater filled the space.
“We had to take out the walls and ceiling,” she says.
The area had been her young son’s playroom. “And then we had kind of like the toys we would switch out. Our photos were over there, and what else? It was a lot of keepsakes we would keep here on shelves, even though it was sort of a play area,” Young says.
Water rose 3 feet above the basement, into their family room. Those walls had to come out too.
Young says nothing could prepare her for the shock of so much damage — followed by the amazement when people immediately stepped up to help.
“People were kayaking by to make sure we were OK,” she remembers.
A crew had to rescue her family by boat. Folks kept helping, including friends who insisted the Youngs move out of the hotel they were staying in, and stay with them.
“So, we stayed there for like, I think two months, almost two months. My friend was super gracious,” she says.
Assistance continued to pour in.
“I was crying all the time, just out of like happiness and love. Oh, I'm going to cry now,” Young says.
There was the high school classmate Young hadn’t talked to for years.
“And she was like, ‘Hey, we have an extra van if you want to use it.' I'm like, 'How are you that nice?'” Young says.
And that wasn’t all.
“I had a neighbor that pulled up and she just gave us some cash one day, because she saw us working and she's like, 'Go have some dinner on me.' She's like, 'I feel bad because I wasn't affected and I can't help,'” Young says.
Ultimately, walls would be reconstructed, appliances replaced and a bathroom rebuilt. A reputable remediation company dropped into their lives thanks to Young’s insurance provider. She says it was a godsend.
“This insurance agent, even though, you know, he gave us the bad news of like, no, your house isn't covered, but here's this great person that he was able to put us in touch [with.] That guy was amazing,” she says.
The company walked the family through the process, including ways to save money before the remediation crew came in — like removing furniture, carpeting, whatever waterlogged stuff they could handle themselves.
Still, Young says she imagined they’d be in a crazy amount of debt.
Again, friends stepped in. One started a GoFundMe for them, while the Youngs canceled a 10th wedding anniversary getaway.
“Everyone felt sorry for us, and no one gave us penalties, and we got all that money back and we were able to put that toward everything,” she says.
To her amazement the family qualified for assistance from FEMA.
Piecing the pots of money together, the Youngs were able to cover the tens of thousands of dollars to pay for damage to the home, hotel costs and other fees, and come out of the flood financially on their feet.
Young says it’s harder to recover emotionally. She says it’s taking time to shake off the trauma and fear of another devastating storm.
Yet, the experience gave her something she didn’t anticipate — a sense of hope.
“Things are pretty bad right now in the country and the world, but when it comes down to it, you know there's a lot of neighbors that actually care. That's been really something that I can hold out hope for,” Young says.
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