In the wake of the devastating Milwaukee flood on August 9, 2025, I reflected on the extraordinary demands placed on us during this challenging time. The Polar Vortex, which took place in February of 2021, was the last time we have experienced this high volume of damaged properties and the scale of the response needed following this recent natural disaster.

I describe this event as a “train-storm,” as it just kept producing weather in a single path, popping up one downpour behind each other like a train.

The flood struck while many residents were enjoying the last hurrah of summer, coinciding with the widely anticipated State Fair. I was there with my family when it began to rain around 6:00 PM. People slowly made their way to cover; most having just enjoyed the day. Quickly the light rain turned into a heavy downpour. By the time we got out of the fair, we were knee-deep in water!

The aftermath of the August flood was overwhelming. In the next hour, my phone went off with so many notifications from members of the community who needed help with major flood damage. The rain continued heavily until the following morning. Over that weekend, we received more than 6,000 calls from homeowners, insurance companies and commercial clients, including hospitals and schools.

We had to remain calm amidst the chaos. Our team’s quick response and dedication to servicing the community really shone here. This is when I am most proud of our operation. Everyone on our team steps up to help. It’s part of our culture and is why we have such great name recognition in southeastern Wisconsin.

The Great Flood of 2010 marked a significant disaster in the region, especially in Dane, Madison and Milwaukee Counties, leading to losses estimated at $80-$100 million in public and private property, as noted by the National Weather Service. In response to this flood, top catastrophe teams in the country were mobilized. Fast forward to 2025; with more coverage and a refined response protocol in place, the company again activated a comprehensive emergency response.

When I reflected on the lessons learned from past events, we oversaw the Polar Vortex of 2021 and the Great Flood of 2010; both events were hectic but manageable. This time, however, the sheer volume of rain in such a short window led to extreme flooding. Existing drainage systems could not keep up. 

In response to the crisis, our people at SEWI quickly mobilized, with teams already addressing damage across Milwaukee, Racine, Waukesha and Ozaukee Counties within a mere 30–45 minutes. We sorted losses by city and severity and assigned labor to our teams closest to each affected area, managing the response effectively with support from neighboring offices. Each major disaster teaches us something new, and we continuously incorporate efficient methods into our protocol, always practicing and continually implementing improvements. We received immense praise and gratitude from those we serviced, especially schools that needed to be dried out ahead of the upcoming school year.

Mike Hopkins Sr., our COO, also emphasized the collaborative effort across Wisconsin. “When devastating floods swept through the state of Wisconsin, our teams sprang into action. From 12 different offices, more than 600 employees were mobilized to assist affected communities, responding to 2,170 losses and deploying over 5,500 pieces of equipment to ensure swift recovery. Tim and his team are skilled, inspirational leaders and simply good people we are so proud to have in our family.”