Flood Damage Aid Sought by East-Side Detroit Residents

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Residents of Detroit’s east side are seeking flood aid for property damage connected to July rainstorms.

More than 1,000 claims have been filed with the Detroit Water Sewerage Department in connection to the July storms, The Detroit News reports. Flooding was widespread in August as well, following torrential downpours. The flooding prompted city-led sanitation efforts and disaster relief requests.

Widespread sewage backups mainly affected Detroit’s District 4, which borders Grosse Pointe and the Detroit River.

The Detroit City Council passed a resolution in July seeking a local state of emergency declaration in the flood area, and began conducting home damage assessments later that month.

Residents affected by heavy rain in August have until Sept. 30 to file claims.

Water department director Gary Brown says neighborhoods on the city’s east side are in a flood plain, and the issues are compounded by runoff from nearby Interstate 94 and the flawed design of the city’s water system.

According to Brown, water officials are looking for short-term solutions while they work on permanent solutions to re-engineer the water flow. The water department hopes to finance sewage check valves for households that are unable to afford them. The valves prevent sewage backups and cost between $2,000 and $4,000.

Claims will initially be paid out of the department budget, and officials will then work with the Great Lakes Water Authority to determine how the costs will be shared.

Both the Detroit Water Sewerage Department and the Great Lakes Water Authority have commissioned studies to identify long-term solutions for the drainage issues.