DETROIT (WXYZ) — “You guys want to stay here or go?” a first responder asked Claudia Ortiz.
“We want to stay because I’m waiting for the flooding to go down in the basement,” Ortiz responded.
Ortiz did not make that decision lightly. She, like many in southwest Detroit impacted by the water main break, are choosing to ride things out at home as opposed to riding an inflatable boat to temporary shelter.
She works in construction and has thousands of dollars worth of power tools in her flooded basement.
“I’m gonna have to stay to see what’s salvageable in my basement. That’s my everyday work. I need to have my tools. If I don’t have my tools I don’t have a job,” Ortiz said.
For others, like Deanna Dooley, their pets are keeping them home.
“If I leave, shut the heat off, they freeze and I can’t do that,” Dooley said.
The water that backed up into basements damaged furnaces leaving many in the cold. Some are using ovens, space heaters, and boiling water to heat their homes.
Jerry Reynolds is trying not to think about the appliances he may have to replace.
“We’ll cross that road when the water goes down. Just trying to get through the day,” Reynolds said.
The Hoskins unplugged everything in their basement to stave off potential electrical hazards. They’ll take shifts staying overnight at their home while the others take up shelter with relatives.
“We want eyes on the house. We just don’t know. What if the officials need to get a hold of somebody and no one’s here? What if something could’ve happened quicker if there was just one person here,” Raymond Hoskins said.
Detroit police went door to door checking up on residents deciding to stick it out – urging them to leave if they don’t have heat or power.
Ortiz, whose furnace was damaged when her basement flooded, is concerned about her pipes freezing when temperatures plunge in the coming days.
“Well we've got power, we've got electric heaters, so for today, but if it gets to be too bad and the water doesn't come back soon, we'll have to leave,” Ortiz said.
If you are experiencing flooding from the water main break in southwest Detroit, please stay safe with these electric safety tips from DTE:
- Do not touch electrical equipment if it's wet or if you're standing in water.
- Don't enter a flooded basement until it's declared safe, especially if there's a risk of electrical shock.
- If you can do so safely, turn off electricity at the main breaker or fuse box to prevent electrical shock.
