Here at 7 News Detroit, we want to make sure you start your day off on the right foot, informed about weather, traffic, the latest news and more. That's why we have the 7 Morning Digest, where we'll get you out the door informed and ready to go.
What's the weather for today?
Wind chills will be -10° to -20° Tuesday morning with lighter northwesterly winds 5-10 mph. Partly cloudy skies continue through the day Tuesday with highs peaking only in the mid to upper teens.
Temperatures drop again to near 0° by Wednesday morning. Wind chills will be -15° to -5°. Clouds increase throughout the day with highs in the mid to upper teens.
Some light snow showers are possible Wednesday night into Thursday, with little to no accumulation of snow expected.
Temperatures gradually climb into next weekend with highs pushing freezing (32°) by Sunday.
Any traffic issues?
Only one major problem to know about this morning. Northbound I-75 is closed between La Plaisance (exit 11) and Front St. (exit 13) due to a crash in Monroe County.
The top stories to know about
Repair work continues overnight water main break causes flooding in SW Detroit neighborhood
Cleanup is only just beginning in a Southwest Detroit neighborhood that was completely flooded this morning in what city officials say was the worst water main break they had ever seen.
The water was up to five feet in spots and had flooded streets and houses, with boats being brought in as firefighters rescued families from their homes.
Tuesday morning was the first time we set foot on Rowan Street. Yesterday morning, this and the surrounding blocks were waist-deep underwater. Some sidewalks and parts of streets are still icy, as the repairs are continuing throughout the morning.
A 54-inch Water Main breaking caused this massive flood, affecting up to 200 homes in between N Green and Beard streets, from Lafayette to Lane streets.
Water filled basements, covered cars and splashed onto porches brought out the U.S. Coast Guard to help trapped residents, rafting to rescue 75 people, about of third of them children, and 12 pets from homes.
The water knocked out power for many. One family, the Hoskins, saying they had five feet of water in their basement.
"A lot of people have water to ceilings in their basement people are living in their basement with other family members," said Linda Hoskins.s
"This is a disaster. It’s not just a small issue right here. This effected a lot of people," said Raymond Hoskins.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is accepting responsibility, saying it's a failure of the water main system. The Great Lakes Water Authority operates the city-owned water main that caused the flooding. Home repairs will be covered by the city's water and sewage department and the Great Lakes Water Authority.
If you're impacted and need a place to stay, there are hotels available and even Ubers if flooding damaged your car. For help, call 313-774-5261.
Not clearing snow off your car could cost you $100 during frigid cold days in metro Detroit
As much of our area received several inches of snow over the weekend, there's a troubling trend: many drivers are hitting the road without properly clearing the snow off of their cars. What many drivers may not realize is that this practice can lead to legal repercussions.
A snow brush will be your best friend to help you not only clear snow from your car, but it can also save you from a $100 ticket.
"Biggest pet peeve after a snowstorm is other people that don't clean off their cars," said Angelo Summers.
"It's a little dangerous. It flies off in huge chunks," said Scott Randall.
Snow-covered cars seem to be everywhere, especially after a winter storm like the ones we saw over the weekend.
"Clean your car before you do anything. Before you drive it," said Alb Azzal.
According to state law here in Michigan, it's against the law to drive with snow on your car, and if you don't clear it, you could face a $100 fine. That means snow cannot be covering your vehicle's windows or lights. Snow also has to be removed from hood. Even if you're shot and can't reach the roof of your car or you don't have a brush.
Attorney for family of 5-year-old boy killed in hyperbaric chamber speaks out
It's been nearly three weeks since a 5-year-old boy was killed in a hyperbaric chamber explosion at the Oxford Recovery Center in Troy.
As the family of 5-year-old Thomas Cooper mourns his death, they're also beginning to fight for answers on how the explosion happened and what could’ve prevented his death.
"Under no circumstances should anything like this ever happen — ever," said James Harrington, managing partner at Fieger Law.
Harrington is representing the Royal Oak family.
"When we met with the family, it was one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve ever seen," he told 7 News Detroit.
The morning of Jan. 31, Thomas was at the Oxford Recovery Center in Troy receiving treatment in a hyperbaric chamber, which is something Thomas had done before for his ADHD and sleep apnea.
"It was private pay. It wasn’t insurance. It was money that they had worked hard to earn to pay for this," Harrington said. "He had, I believe, 35 treatments, and this happened on the 36th treatment."
On that 36th treatment, the hyperbaric chamber that Thomas was in exploded.
Harrington said that something many do not know is that Thomas' mother tried to save her baby boy.
"She was in the waiting room and was alerted that something was going wrong and rushed back, and he was engulfed in flames and she was trying to get him out and sustained significant burns to her arm," Harrington said.
He said that the physical wounds will be permanent. And there's the lifelong emotional pain that everyone in Thomas' family will endure including his mom, dad and 3-year-old little brother.
