DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Heavy downpour led to serious flooding in parts of metro Detroit Wednesday.
Hanover Street in Dearborn Heights was hit particularly hard, with dozens of basements flooded and some residents even requiring boat rescues from their homes.
“It rose up so high that you can see the water marks here," said Aisha Johnson, pointing out the faint line in her mother's basement where water sat overnight.
The family lost kid's toys, electronics and important documents.
“It was literally like an entire swimming pool down here. Everything was just floating and bouncing around and moving," Johnson said.
Like most of her neighbors, Johnson's family doesn't have flood insurance, so they're facing thousands in out-of-pockets costs to replace their ruined items.
Lauren Reinbold lost all of her belongings when her car flooded. She was visiting the area from Saginaw.
“I turned down the road and it just sucked my car right in," she said of the rushing flood water. “I had literally everything I own in my car."
Towing companies were busy Thursday, too. As water levels receded, they were picking up cars that sat overnight in flood water.
“Cars that have been flooded up to the roof. Water inside in the engine bay," said Lane Silvi with Hadley’s Towing.
People on Hanover Street have experienced flooding before, most notably in 2014 when Ecorse Creek again overflowed.
The north branch of the creek, which runs behind several homes on Hanover Street, is managed by Wayne County.
“It’s overgrown," said Bill Sievers of Hanover Street. "This is half the problem, the water has nowhere to go."
We reached out to the county to learn more about what can be done to prevent flooding in the future. A spokesperson said given that it's a natural waterway, there's only so much the county can do when heavy rains fall.
A spokesperson told 7 Action News it's the landowner's responsibility to trim the overgrowth around their property that backs up to the creek.
While Hanover Street residents continue to clean up from Wednesday's dose of Mother Nature, they're also bracing for the possibility of more rain Thursday night.
“If it’s as much as it was last night or the night before, start leaving now," said Hanover resident Jessie Sorrell.
