Trapped residents rescued by boat as Detroit, suburbs hit hard by flooding

As rainfall filled Dearborn Heights homes Wednesday morning, firefighters waded through waist-deep water to rescue trapped residents and even borrowed an inflatable boat to reach some of them.

"In some areas, the water is so deep it is above the car windshields," said Vaskin Badalow, the Dearborn Heights deputy fire chief. "There are maybe 50 to 80 homes affected directly."

Dearborn Heights was among the worst hit metro Detroit communities as 3 inches of rain fell overnight, causing lakes, creeks, canals to overflow and flooding homes and roadways.

Dearborn Heights Mayor Daniel Paletko asked the state to declare an emergency. The city also has set up a temporary shelter in the Dowdait room at the city's Justice Center at Beech Daly and Michigan Avenue.

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for southern Wayne County, including most downriver municipalities, until 12:45 p.m. as several feet of water washed over roadways, stalling cars trying to drive through it.

By Wednesday afternoon, meteorologists also were warning of the possibility of some scattered evening thundershowers with lightning, small hail, and brief, but heavy, downpours.

And, the weather service was predicting 20-30 mph wind across the southern Lake Huron basin also is predicted to increase water levels along the shoreline between the Thumb and Port Huron.

The winds especially affected communities on waterways, such as the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood in Detroit and St Clair Shores, which were hit with lake surges from the deluge of rain.

Residents in those areas tried wringing out whatever water might have made it past the sandbags residents stacked up on Monday to protect their homes.

City of Detroit engineering officials on Ashland inspected the water that had breached canal barriers. A water-main break also added to the neighborhood's flooding problem, dumping more water into the streets.

Kevin Cansiani, who lives in a bungalow on Harbor Island Street in Jefferson Chalmers, said he survived with no flooding, but some of his neighbors did not appear to be so lucky.

"There are certain parts of the neighborhood under water right now," he said.

By early afternoon, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan held a news conference in the neighborhood to recruit volunteers to help fill 50,000 sandbags in an effort to keep any additional flood waters at bay. 

Residents rescued by boat

At about 1:30 a.m., Dearborn Heights officials said, basements started flooding and extinguished furnace pilot lights.

Firefighters went to homes to turn off the gas.

But later, as more calls for help came in, paramedics were dispatched to rescue residents who could not escape the rising water in their homes as it filled their living rooms and bedrooms.

"Upward of about 3 inches of rain fell last night with the storms that came through," said Trent Frey, a meteorologist with the weather service in White Lake Township. "The flood warning is to note there are still problems out there."

Dearborn Heights authorities said // at // least three people had to be evacuated on stretchers by boat, a loan from Metro Airport. They navigating the streets flooded by several feet of water as if they were canals.

The hardest hit area of Dearborn Heights, which occasionally experiences flooding, was near Van Born and Telegraph. In the early morning, Telegraph also was flooded, adding another complication to rescue operations.

Rains flood freeways

But by midmorning, the rain had stopped, flooded cars were being towed, water on the roadways was receding, and winds were shifting direction, posing less of a threat to homeowners living near lakes, rivers, and canals. 

Read more:

Water levels are already high in metro Detroit and nonstop rain is on the way

Tips on how to prepare for a flood and protect your property and loved ones

Four cars that had been trapped in flood waters on the Lodge freeway were towed away, Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw said. Other areas also were being cleared as waters receded.

About 3 feet of flooding caused the Lodge under Cobo Center to close, Shaw added. It is an area where water is known to accumulate after a heavy downpour and spot where drivers need to be careful when it's raining. 

Shaw urged motorists to avoid driving through standing water, adding that a car could potentially float in just a foot of water. If stuck, he said, drivers should call 911. If water gets in the car, he advised drivers to get on the hood of the car.

The QLINE, the streetcar on Woodward Avenue, was not affected by the rain.

Chance of more storms

On Wednesday afternoon, Frey said, there's a chance for more rain, and an even lesser a chance of severe storms, which could bring more heavy downpours and 60 mph winds.

And any big, sudden dousing could be a disaster for drivers caught in it and homeowners in flood areas because the ground is saturated and the lake water levels are high — nearly a foot above normal.

In addition, more than half of Michigan, which is mostly surrounded by water, is expected to experience minor flooding this spring, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

More wind means more of the already high lake water could get pushed over barriers and electricity lines, as they often do in severe weather, could come down and knock out power.

"There could be some problems with how much water we've gotten over the past few days," Frey said. "A lot of water is going to want to run off and pond in low-lying areas where we're more susceptible to flooding."

On Thursday, he said, there's another possibility of moderate to heavy afternoon and evening showers, but no rain is forecast for Friday or Saturday, which is hopeful news for anxious homeowners.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.

To volunteer to help

Detroit is asking for volunteers to help fill at least 50,000 sandbags to protect the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood near the Detroit River from flooding. You can volunteer and request help at www.detroitmi.gov/flood. 

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