MILWAUKEE — Nearly a week after a city water pipe burst on Franklin Place, residents on Milwaukee’s East Side hope warmer temperatures this week will ease cleanup efforts.
Drivers can now access Franklin Place, though several cars remain stuck in the ice that formed when freezing temperatures quickly solidified the floodwaters.
City crews worked for days to fix the break and also sprinkled salt around immobilized vehicles. A city water works spokesperson explained that the salt breaks down the ice faster as temperatures warm.
But with no luck as of Sunday evening, some residents banded together to continue to clear vehicles.
“I look at this like a battle and that’s a target,” said Tom, a lifelong resident who has spent the past four days clearing stuck cars.
“I use my roofing shovel — the most powerful shovel capable of cutting through anything on earth — and take care of business.”
His car was free, but Tom wanted to help his neighbors at no cost.
Check out: East Side residents unite to clear frozen road as temperatures warm
“It’s good to get a workout and good for the community. I love this community,’ Tom smiled.
Neighbor Quentien Tyra, a three-year resident, said he had never seen a flood like this.
“It took four hours to get my car out,” Tyra recalled. “I was so thankful because if I hadn’t, I would’ve been missing out on a lot of days of work. Hundreds of dollars just gone.”
Residents hope the upcoming warmth will improve the effectiveness of salt and manual efforts so their street is cleared and cars get free.
“With warmer temps too makes the snow a little heavier as it melts and that’s a benefit too I didn’t think about,” Tom observed.
This situation underscores the challenges of extreme cold and fluctuating temperatures, which strain the water infrastructure.
With highs in the 40s all week, snow will continue to melt.
Authorities urge residents to use caution overnight, as melting areas could refreeze on streets and sidewalks. They also advise extreme caution when recreating on local lakes as ice thins and warn that ice jams may form on area waterways as the ice cover breaks apart.
If you see a water main break in Milwaukee, you’re asked to call the Water Works Control Center at 414-286-3710.
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