Overview:

- A 54-inch water main ruptured early Monday in Southwest Detroit, flooding homes and streets with frigid water, forcing rescues and prompting officials to pledge full coverage of uninsured damages.
- The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) confirmed the break occurred around 2 a.m. at Beard and Rowan Streets, affecting hundreds of residents.
- Emergency responders used inflatable boats and even a front-end loader to evacuate stranded residents.
- City officials announced several measures for affected residents, including free hotel stays, repairs or replacement of flooded furnaces and appliances, and towing of damaged vehicles to Detroit Police's Fourth Precinct for free storage.
- Detroit mayor Mike Duggan said the city and GLWA will cover all uninsured damages.

A 54-inch water main ruptured early Monday in Southwest Detroit, flooding homes and streets with frigid water, forcing rescues, and prompting officials to pledge full coverage of uninsured damages.

The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) confirmed that the break occurred around 2 a.m. at Beard and Rowan Streets, affecting hundreds of residents. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said in a press conference Monday afternoon that the aging steel pipe, originally built in the 1930s, spilled water for several hours before crews could shut off the valves around 7:30 a.m. The flooding left streets coated in thick ice and submerged basements, furnaces, and vehicles in water up to five feet deep​​​.

Rescues and emergency response

By Monday afternoon, crews had rescued 54 adults, 22 children, and 12 pets from the frozen floodwaters, according to city officials. Emergency responders used inflatable boats and even a front-end loader to evacuate stranded residents. One person was hospitalized but no other injuries were reported​​.

Duggan told reporters that the city and GLWA would cover all uninsured damages.

“This was a failure of the water main system,” Duggan said during the press conference. “The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) and GLWA are going to pay for the damage and pay for your loss.”

Support for displaced residents

Officials announced several measures for affected residents:

  • Free hotel stays at Sonesta Extended Stay, including meals and accommodations for pets, Duggan said.
  • Repairs or replacement of flooded furnaces, water heaters, and appliances at no cost.
  • Towing of damaged vehicles to Detroit Police’s Fourth Precinct for free storage.
  • Uber rides covered by the city for those whose vehicles were lost or damaged.
  • Basement clean-ups and home inspections starting as soon as the water recedes​​.

City officials say residents needing assistance can call the 24-hour hotline at (313) 774-5261​.

More coverage:

City of Detroit press conference

BridgeDetroit

Michigan Public

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Nina Misuraca Ignaczak is an award-winning Metro Detroit-based editor, journalist, and documentary filmmaker. She is the founder, publisher, and editor of Planet Detroit, a digital media startup focused on producing quality climate, health, and environment journalism that holds power accountable, and spotlights solutions. Planet Detroit has received awards and recognition from the Society for Professional Journalists Detroit, the Institute for Nonprofit News, and LION Publishers since its establishment in 2019. Prior to her journalism career, Nina worked in urban planning in local government and nonprofit sectors, holding a Master of Science in Natural Resource Ecology and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.