Restoration companies very busy after deep freeze and thaw

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The freeze and thaw continues to wreck havoc on water pipes throughout southeastern Wisconsin. Restoration and cleaning companies in Milwaukee are swamped with calls!

Paul Davis, a national company with a location in Milwaukee is a 24-hour business that's been getting call after call after call for service!

This, after we saw a deep freeze last week -- and milder temperatures this week.

"We've never seen anything on this scale -- like it happened this year nationwide," Dan Gramann, Paul Davis Division Manager said.

"We continue to see more damage and more pipes break," Paul Davis President Daniel Druml said.

FOX6 News spotted crews carting out bags filled with family belongings, soaked and near ruined. The bags hold everyday items like a living room rug -- but also things that mean a little more -- like a son's favorite pair of sneakers and a daughter's favorite teddy bear.

The bags represent just four recent calls handled by Paul Davis.

At first, the calls coming in were form commercial buildings, businesses and schools -- but then as the meltdown continued, more calls began coming in from people's homes.

"So many people who were away are coming home and we continue to see damage," Druml said.

It varies how long it takes for families to get back items damaged by water -- from a few days to several weeks.

Paul Davis says the number of new cases is dropping -- saying at the height, Paul Davis was seeing 30 to 40 calls a day.