Flooding, Power Outages Follow Local Storms
DETROIT (WWJ) - Heavy rain means serious flooding for many Metro Detroit communities, with many residents experiencing roadways under water, drenched basements and power outages.
One of the hardest hit areas is Livonia. WWJ's Ron Dewey was in the area Thursday morning and he reports the creeks and tributaries that empty into the Rouge River are anything but empty.
Many of the side streets nearby are underwater and they are blocked to traffic leaving residents fewer options for getting out of their neighborhoods. However, the larger problem for some is a basement full of water with nowhere to go.
Gilbert Neeler, who lives on Linden Street in Livonia, said he had between two to three feet of water in his basement where he lost a refrigerator and his furnace among other belongings.
"I got a humidifier that's under water, my carpet is floating, furniture is floating...it's a mess. All you can do is laugh about it, you can't cry," Neeler said. "I've never had my basement flooded since '93 when I moved here. Never had water in the basement."
There are also flooded streets and basements in Canton, as well as Dearborn Heights and parts of Detroit along the Rouge, which itself is about four feet above flood stage.
(More on Wayne County flooding, here.)
Meantime, cleanup is underway at several apartments in the Lakeview Villa Apartments in Farmington Hills, after residents on the lower floors reported two to three inches of water in their homes.
A flood warning remains in effect for southeast Michigan until 11:30pm, Thursday.
Not only are people dealing with flooding, some are also coping with a lack of electricity.
About 4,000 DTE customers in the Clawson lost power in the area of 14 Mile and Campbell.
WWJ's Vickie Thomas was in the area off Joy Road, east of Telegraph Thursday morning which got hit really hard. Thomas reports that those residents got almost everything - flooding, high winds and now a power outage.
Denise Bryant, who lives in Redford Township, is waiting for her power to be restored. And just across the street from her, a giant tree limb rests in the front yard of two homes.
Bryant said the storm blew through in a matter of seconds, but caused quite a bit of damage. She told WWJ's Vickie Thomas that it is great to see DTE Energy and city crews out working, but the neighborhood at one point looked like "a war zone."
Storm aftermath in Redford Township:
(More video from Redford, here.)
There seems to be no break from the wet weather, with showers and thunderstorms expected through Friday or Saturday.
AccuWeather's Dean Devore said another inch of rain was expected in spots by end of the day, Thursday. This after three and four inches of rain were reported in Canton, Livonia, Ann Arbor, Warren and Farmington Hills. More than four inches fell in a 12-hour period in Detroit.
Forecast details from the WWJ Weather Team:
Thursday Night: Cloudy. Showers likely with a slight chance of thunderstorms through 2 am, then showers likely. Lows 47 to 51. North winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.
Friday: Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers through late afternoon. Highs 62 to 66. North winds 5 to 10 mph...turning to northeast. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms overnight. Lows 52 to 56. East winds 5 to 10 mph...turning to southeast. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then becoming partly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs 73 to 77. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph...turning to south late. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Sunday: Partly sunny during the morning. Mostly sunny during the afternoon. Highs 84 to 88.
For the latest, stay tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for traffic and weather updates on the 8's.
