Up to seven inches of rain hit the ground, causing rising waters in Detroit and Ann Arbor on Friday night and Saturday morning. The downfall resulted in floods forcing thousands of homeowners to clean up the damage done to their homes from the massive flooding.
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While much of the water has now receded, the damage has already been done, as thousands of homeowners are left removing carpet, furniture, and other items from their basements. The flooding has also left 37,000 people without power, 6,000 in Dearborn alone.
97.1 The Ticket's own Bob Wojnowski is one of those cleaning up a major flood.
The Butzel and Kemeny Recreation Centers are currently open for families without power. In Ann Arbor, the Pioneer High School building is being used as a shelter as well.
Throughout the day Sunday, Detroit city workers will clean up streets and pick up garbage placed on the curb by residents who had basement flooding and need to remove any damaged items.
The city will also be surveying the damage done in the areas that were hit hardest by the rain, including the east and southwest areas of Detroit.
Dearborn CongressWoman Debbie Dingell said people should be documenting their losses through videos and photographs.
The city is also requesting that residents document their losses and call the city’s hotline, 313-267-8000, to start the process of filing a claim. In addition, residents are encouraged to take photos of the damage, place their damaged goods on the curb, and keep receipts for any cleaning or repairs.
Residents will have 45 days to file a claim with their cities but are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.
The Detroit Department of Neighborhoods will also be holding a virtual meeting to give an update on the city’s response to the flooding on Monday, at 5 p.m. The Zoom link for the meeting is ow.ly/WzeE50Fjm88.
Dingell has been in touch with FEMA, the White House, and Gov. Whitmer, who declared a state of emergency Saturday and is making resources available to cities that need help.
The flooding has also been present on the interstate as I-94 left hundreds of cars submerged underwater.
A semi-driver ented the 94 Rotunda in an attempt to plow his way through the water. His attempt was unsuccessful, but even if it were, he would have been blocked by the cars under the water.
The Marine Services Team also made their way onto the I-94 Rotunda after hearing reports of vehicles making their way around barricades stopping traffic from entering the interstate. The team checked eight vehicles to find they were all empty.
As floodwaters continue to go down, authorities request that residents stay home and do not attempt to make their way onto the interstate until it is deemed safe to do so.