Vehicles stuck in ice on Milwaukee's east side; Franklin and Pleasant
Vehicles stuck in ice on Milwaukee's east side after pipe leak
An entire block of vehicles parked near Pleasant Street and Franklin Place on Milwaukee's east side are frozen to the street following a water pipe leak.
MILWAUKEE - An entire block of vehicles parked near Pleasant Street and Franklin Place on Milwaukee's lower east side are frozen to the street following a water pipe leak on Tuesday.
"I’m a schoolteacher. I don't have hours to chop up ice," said Quentien Tyra, whose car was stuck in the ice.
Vehicles struck in ice
What we know:
Milwaukee Water Works blamed a leak of a branch, which is typically a smaller water pipe that connects a building to the water main under the street.
It happened Tuesday, which led to water pouring onto the street. Given the freezing temperatures, that water turned to ice, surrounding car tires in a rock-hard sheet.
While the leak has been repaired, the problems for car owners isn't over.
MIlwaukee Department of Public Works crews applied calcium chloride to the affected areas on Thursday in an effort to break down the thick ice.
"We did send a crew this morning with calcium chloride. They are going to place the calcium chloride around these vehicles to try to accelerate the melting of the ice and release the vehicles. I think the concern we have is, though, if they are not moved, they will likely refreeze again," Patrick Pauly, Milwaukee Water Works Superintendent, said at Common Council committee meeting.
DPW crews also used heavy equipment to break, chop and plow the ice.
Others took matters into their own hands.
"We had a hammer," said Madison Fricano.
She and her roommate spent an hour Wednesday and two hours on Thursday chipping away at the ice. She says it led to damage to her car.
"Right here, we had to chip away because the ice was all the way in my tire," she said as she showed us an area of peeling paint. "My paint’s chipped. My tire’s all messed up. The plastic is all cracked."
After breaking up the ice, a truck pulled Fricano's car out of the ice.
What they're saying:
"It kind of sucks," said Rachel Weiss, who was waiting in her car for a tow. "It could be worse. My car can start and all that, so I’ll be optimistic for the positives, but it ruins my whole week. I can’t get to work. Like, there’s nothing I can do."
A Milwaukee public works crew dropped salt around Weiss' car. Later, a tow truck pulled her car out of inches of ice.
Milwaukee Water Works' Explanation
What they're saying:
"The accumulation of ice has been exacerbated by the fact that water from the branch leak had nowhere to drain due to snow and ice buildup from recent storms, as well as the densely parked vehicles in the area. This has made it difficult to free the vehicles still trapped in the ice," Milwaukee Water Works said in a statement.
"The snow and ice build-up, the cars parked very closer to each other, the water had no place to go, so it stayed in place and froze," Pauly explained to the Common Council committee. "The leak itself was not severe. It was a situation where there was no place for the water to go."
Pauly said there have been nearly 100 water main breaks in January alone. He said that’s well above average.
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City leaders say drastic changes in temperature put stress on pipes, especially when the ground freezes and thaws, causing the lines to crack and break.
Filing claims against the City of Milwaukee
What you can do:
People dealing with frozen cars may wonder whose going to pay for the tows, the ride share costs, and the car repairs.
"I’m going to try to get some insurance money out of that, maybe something from the city," said Fricano.
If you believe the city caused damage to your property, whether it was a pothole or a pipe leak, you can file a claim with the Milwaukee City Clerk.
You will need to submit documentation explaining what happened and what you'd like to have from the city. You should also submit receipts or estimates. More information can be found here.
Report water main breaks
What you can do:
To report a water main break or other water problem, call the Milwaukee Water Works 24-hour Control Center at 414-286-3710.
The Source: The information in this post was gathered from eyewitnesses to the flooding, testimony from Milwaukee Water Works to a Common Council committee, and FOX6 reporting from the scene.