Severe Detroit Flooding Strands Motorists, Traps Residents in Homes

Severe flooding in Southwest Detroit left motorists stranded and residents trapped in their homes early Monday (2/17).

Thousands of gallons of water poured into the streets after a water main break in the area of N. Green and Towan Roads. In some cases, the water was nearly as high as the roofs of some vehicles.

Water Main Break in Detroit

The water main break occurred around 4 am Monday, with some residents waking to several feet of water in their basements and homes. The Great Lakes Water Authority attributes the flooding to a break in a 54-inch water main which dates back to the 1930s.

Gary Brown is the Director of the Detroit Water and Sewage Department. He tells Detroit's WJBK-TV that he's never seen a water main break of this magnitude.

He notes that the flooding has affected at least one square mile, in a very densely populated area of the city. Brown estimated that 150 to 200 homes have water in their basements.

City crews were working to get the water shut off just before 9 AM today and indicated that it would take time to dig up the damaged pipe.

Residents Trapped in Homes and on Vehicles

The Detroit Fire and Police Departments helped rescue residents who were trapped in their homes, some with no power.

"If you have your power on, and you want to stay and you feel comfortable, right now we believe you can do that," Mayor Mike Duggan said. "If you feel uncomfortable and you want to be removed, call 911."

In some cases, motorists were seen sitting on top of their vehicles, waiting to be rescued.

The cause of the water main break has not been determined and at this time, no deaths have been reported as a result of the flooding. Fox 2 has more photos of the flooding on their website.