DETROIT — Early Monday morning, Claudia Ortiz received a call from a neighbor alerting her to a significant water issue outside their homes in Detroit. Within hours, a massive water main break caused water to rush through the streets and inundate basements in their tight community, situated a few miles southwest of downtown.
“It looked like a white water rafting river. The water was just coming down so fast,” Ortiz recounted from her living room Wednesday, relying on a small space heater for warmth. “Everybody was so scared,” she added. “It was just crazy.”
The incident occurred around 2 a.m., when a nearly century-old, 54-inch steel water main unexpectedly burst near Ortiz’s home. Water gushed from the widening hole, leading to the urgent evacuation of over 90 residents. Firefighters utilized rubber rafts to rescue some individuals from waist-deep water, while others were transported to safety in the bucket of a construction loader.
This particular water main, constructed in the 1930s, had yet to reveal the cause of its failure, especially given that temperatures were well below freezing at the time of the incident. Mayor Mike Duggan reassured affected residents, “If you don’t have power, you don’t have heat, don’t have water, you do not have to stay in your home. We will get you into a good hotel room.”
By later that morning, the water began to recede after crews located and repaired the break. The transmission mains serve to transport water from pump stations at the Detroit River to various communities through the regional Great Lakes Water Authority, eventually dispersing to smaller pipes that reach individual homes.
In total, Mayor Duggan indicated nearly 400 homes fell within the emergency flood zone. Among those affected, 72 homes lost electricity, 190 suffered flood damage in their basements, and 174 remained without heating on Tuesday. Numerous vehicles remained stranded in floodwaters, some partially submerged until the water level dropped.
On Wednesday, Linda Hoskins’s home had no gas heat, resulting in worries that her furnace and water heater might be irreparably damaged due to basement flooding. “It was just pouring in… like all the way around the house,” she expressed from her front steps, while city crews worked on the site of the main break. “It just happened so fast. At first, we thought it was coming in through the door. People are going to have problems with their foundations because it was pouring through the walls.”
Both Ortiz and Hoskins opted to stay in their homes, utilizing space heaters for warmth. “I have stuff in my home. It’s my house,” Hoskins said. Despite receiving an offer for hotel accommodations, she felt others had a greater need.
Crews have initiated excavation efforts around the burst transmission main site. The Great Lakes Water Authority reported that a replacement for a damaged 12-foot section of pipe has been ordered and should arrive shortly, although the main will remain out of operation for at least two weeks. The city plans to utilize funds from its Water and Sewerage Department to support displaced residents with hotel stays, meals, and assistance with repairs for uninsured damage to heating systems and clean-up of affected basements.
Looking ahead, crews are set to start surveying homes that were less severely impacted. Gary Brown, the city’s water department director, stated, “We have a team of people that are used to doing this kind of work and you’re going to see us get through these homes pretty quickly.”
For now, some residents remain uncertain about their property’s condition. Hoskins described puddles of sludge in her basement, while Ortiz, who runs a home renovation business, had yet to assess the situation with her belongings stored below. “I tried to put things on tables, but the water was so much that everything just got knocked over,” she explained.
City officials have been actively checking on Ortiz and her neighbors, offering assistance where needed. Unfortunately, Ortiz’s homeowner’s insurance excludes flood coverage, and she plans to take advantage of the city’s damage assistance. “At least for my heater. Whatever I can get back,” she remarked, acknowledging the personal toll. “It’s just going to be hard. Sometimes I think I’m still in shock. I don’t even know if I really feel cold or anything. I’m just scared.”
