MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin has confirmed a new 24-hour rainfall record after more than a foot of rain fell in Milwaukee during historic summer flooding, but for some families like Victoria Kiepert’s, the damage never ended.

The August 9th and 10th storms brought 14-and-a-half inches of rain to northwest Milwaukee in just 24 hours, now officially the most rain ever recorded in a single day in Wisconsin. Behind that historic number are families still trying to rebuild as Christmas approaches.

“We lost all of our stuff in the basement,” Kiepert said.

Floodwaters damaged Kiepert’s northside home, destroying nearly everything her family owned. She applied for help, but says months later, recovery is still falling on her shoulders.

“Beds, appliances, all that stuff, kids’ clothes, TVs, everything,” Kiepert said.

The Milwaukee mother, who cares for five children, says her family was left homeless for two weeks after the flooding.

Victoria Kiepert

“We had to move, and I couldn’t find a house right away, so we were homeless for two weeks, and then we moved and still don’t have the things we need,” Kiepert said.

Watch: Milwaukee mom seeks help after historic flooding as Christmas approaches

Milwaukee mom seeks help after historic flooding as Christmas approaches

Climate experts say the storms were unprecedented, with rain falling one to three inches an hour for several hours, overwhelming basements, streets, and sewer systems. Radar estimates show 10 to 12 inches fell across northern Milwaukee and northeast Waukesha counties, confirming the devastation was widespread.

Kiepert says she and her kids have to sleep on air mattresses, and the holidays only add more pressure to an already overwhelming situation.

“People think that after people get FEMA money, it’s just done and over with, and that should be enough, but it’s really not because it takes months, even years, sometimes when you’re starting all over,” Kiepert said.

She’s unsure how she will provide gifts for her kids this Christmas, her family still needs basic necessities months after the flooding.

Victoria Kiepert

“We still need beds, dressers, kids’ clothing, a lot of stuff,” Kiepert said.

As Wisconsin marks a new chapter in climate history, families like Kiepert’s say recovery can’t stop at statistics, especially as Christmas approaches.

“This year’s really hard, because mostly because of the flood, cause all the stuff we lost, I have to buy them new stuff, because that money isn’t available for Christmas,” Kiepert said.

The flooding has made this Christmas particularly challenging for Kiepert’s family, including her youngest daughter experiencing her first Christmas.

“This is my daughter’s first Christmas, it would help for all my kids but mainly for her, to make like a Christmas miracle for them,” Kiepert said.

Despite the hardships, Kiepert maintains perspective on what matters most during the holidays.

“Sometimes it’s not about the gifts, it’s about being stable and having family around,” Kiepert said.

As Victoria’s family continues to rebuild, community support can make a real difference. A GoFundMe is available for those who wish to donate money or provide much-needed household items. If you can donate any of the furniture items she seeks, her email is Victoria.kiepert@icloud.com, or you can reach out to me by email at gideon.verdin@tmj4.com, and I will connect you with Victoria.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Security officials at Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport offered advice for passengers navigating the busy holiday travel season this December.

Tim Goodman, Wisconsin assistant federal security director at the Transportation Security Administration, said Dec. 19 that the agency is prepared for high passenger volume at Milwaukee Mitchell in the next two weeks.

Goodman said the airport expects to process as many as 12,000 travelers during the busiest holiday travel days. These dates are projected to see the most traffic:

• Sunday, Dec. 21
• Monday, Dec. 22
• Tuesday, Dec. 23
• Sunday, Dec. 28
• Monday, Dec. 29
• Tuesday, Dec. 30

MILWAUKEE — A federal jury found Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan guilty Thursday of obstructing immigration agents as they attempted to arrest an undocumented immigrant defendant last April. 

Eduardo Flores-Ruiz was appearing in Dugan’s court on misdemeanor battery charges. Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national, was arrested outside the courthouse after a short chase by the immigration agents and has since been deported.

A grand jury indicted Dugan the following month. She denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the federal charges of obstructing a proceeding, a felony, and of concealing an individual to prevent an arrest, a misdemeanor. She was found not guilty of the misdemeanor charge.
 
During the trial, federal agents testified Dugan seemed “angry” when she approached them in the public hallway where they were waiting to arrest Flores-Ruiz after his hearing. They testified that she asked the agents if they had a judicial warrant, sent them to speak with the chief judge, rushed Flores-Ruiz’s case through, and allowed him and his attorney to leave the courtroom through the jury door, which led back to a public hallway.

During the government’s closing argument, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Watzka said Dugan conducted a “round-up” of federal agents and sent them to the chief judge’s office.

Watzka said Dugan then created an “escape route” for Flores-Ruiz when she let him exit a door defendants don’t usually go through. Prosecutors also played courtroom audio of Dugan saying she’d “take the heat” for her actions.

Dugan’s attorneys argued that immigration enforcement policy at the courthouse was in-flux at the time, which led to Dugan’s confusion, and that after Dugan let Flores-Ruiz go through the jury door, he ended up back in the public hallway. They argued this showed she wasn’t concealing him. 

Dugan did not testify during the trial. 

Dugan attorney Jason Luczak told the jury: “You’re the check on government overreach. Use your power to do justice in this case. You have the power to correct this unjust prosecution. It’s your decision and justice is in your hands.”

Until President Trump’s first term, courthouses were typically off-limits to federal authorities, including immigration agents. He implemented a policy in 2018 giving agents broader authority and has now ramped up immigration enforcement during his second term.