(WXYZ) — Residents in Dearborn Heights and in the Downriver area are dealing with the aftermath of flooding from this morning's heavy rain.
“This has been consistent for the past 30 years. I’m sorry to say," Dearborn Height resident Mark Swoveland said.
He said he moved into his home on Annapolis Street near Southfield Freeway in 1990. So, the rain that came last night did not catch him nor his property off guard. He said flooded streets are the norm.
“Especially when we get heavy rain or if we have an excessive amount of snow and the snow melt and then the rain comes we get this quite often," Swoveland explained.
He said he’s come to terms with it, and he's always prepared.
“I installed a sump pump. So, it’s kept the water out of the house. But it’s caused havoc for, well, you can see it bust up the cement and everything else," he said.
Dearborn Heights City Hall is closed on Fridays. However, 7 Action News still reached out to the city about the issue.
Over in Lincoln Park, Ruben Mota said he awoke to a phone call from his brother who alerted him about flooding in the area.
That’s when Mota found close to a foot of water in his basement.
He said he rushed out to buy some cleaning supplies and a sump pump.
“Now, it's just (a matter of) taking out all of the kids toys. Some of the stuff they haven't even opened yet that got damaged. I mean, it was just a whole playroom downstairs for the kids and now 99 percent of the stuff is gonna be going to the trash," Mota explained.
He said his family has lived in their home for five years. Mota said this is the third time they've experienced flooding, and they’re frustrated and uncertain as to why this keeps happening.
“I have insurance that covers sewage backup, but a lot of this stuff we’re not going to be able to replace for our kids," Mota said.
His brother, Fernando, who lives down the street also has a finished basement that was ruined by flood water.
“It was around 17 inches (of water),” Fernando Mota said.
He said he retrieved his sump pump from the garage, and it's a routine he said he's tired of.
“It just keeps happening, and the city isn’t really doing much about it to fix it, to re-mediate," Mota said.
7 Action News called and stopped by the Lincoln Park city manager’s office and called the Department of Public Services for comment. We’re waiting to hear back.
