DETROIT (AP) — One of Claudia Ortiz's neighbors telephoned her early Monday morning, telling her that the street outside their Detroit homes was filling fast with water.
A few hours later, a deluge of water from a broken large water transmission main cascaded through narrow streets and into basements in the tight-knit, working-class neighborhood a few miles southwest of downtown.
“It looked like a white water rafting river. The water was just coming down so fast," Ortiz told The Associated Press on Wednesday from her living room, warmed only by a small space heater on the floor.
“Everybody was so scared,†she added. "It was just crazy.â€
What happened?
About 2 a.m. Monday, a nearly century-old 54-inch (1.4-meter) steel water main suddenly burst yards from Ortiz's front door. It sent torrents of water coursing out in all directions from an ever-widening crater. More than 90 people had to be helped from their homes. Some were hauled by firefighters through waist-deep water in rubber rafts. At least several made it to safety in the bucket of a front loader construction vehicle.
The water main was built around 1930, according to officials who were still trying to determine what caused the huge pipe to burst. Temperatures were well below freezing at the time of the break.
“If you don’t have power, you don’t have heat, don’t have water, you do not have to stay in your home,†Mayor Mike Duggan said Monday. “We will get you into a good hotel room.â€
The waters receded later Monday morning after the break was found and the water flow stopped.
Such large transmission mains carry water from pump stations at the Detroit River. That water then flows to communities served by the regional Great Lakes Water Authority. Water from the mains goes into smaller pipes that run through neighborhoods and home service lines.
Who was affected?
Duggan said that nearly 400 homes are in the emergency flood zone. Of those impacted by the flooding, 72 were without electricity, 190 had flooded basements and 174 were without heat Tuesday.
Scores of snow-covered vehicles were stuck in water up to their wheel wells or engine hoods until the water finally drained. The bottoms of their tires remained encased in ice Wednesday and frozen to the pavement.
Linda Hoskins' home also was without gas heat Wednesday. Her furnace and water heater likely were damaged beyond repair when her basement flooded.
“It was just pouring in ... like all the way around the house,†she said Wednesday from her front steps as city crews dug and clawed through dirt, clay and muck at the source of the water main break.
“It just happened so fast," Hoskins said. "At first, we thought it was coming in through the door. People are going to have problems with their foundations because it was pouring through the walls.â€
Like Ortiz and many others, Hoskins has chosen to remain home, warmed now by several space heaters.
“I have stuff in my home. It’s my house,†she said. "My husband’s still working, so we have income. We still have bills to pay. They did offer us a hotel, but there’s people who need it more than we do.â€
What's next?
Crews have excavated around the site where the transmission main burst.
A replacement has been ordered for a 12-foot (3.7-meter) section of pipe that is being removed, and should be on site within a day, the Great Lakes Water Authority said Wednesday, adding that the water main won't be back in service for at least two weeks.
The city will use funds from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department and the Water Authority to pay for hotel rooms and food for displaced residents. It also will repair and pay for uninsured damage to furnaces and hot water heaters, and clean basements out, Duggan said.
Crews are expected Thursday to begin clearing out some of the homes that weren't severely impacted, said Gary Brown, director of the city’s water department.
“We have a team of people that are used to doing this kind of work and you're going to see us get through these homes pretty quickly,†Brown said.
Uncertainty for residents
For now, Hoskins has puddles of what she describes as sludge in her basement. As of early Wednesday afternoon, Ortiz, who owns a home renovation company, had yet to check on the condition of clothing, power tools and other items stored in her basement.
“I went down there when the water was still not too high,†she said. “I tried to put things on tables, but the water was so much that everything just got knocked over. It was just too much water. It was coming in from the drains really fast.â€
City officials continue to check in on Ortiz and her neighbors, knocking on doors and calling to see if they need any help.
Her homeowner's insurance policy doesn't cover flooding and Ortiz said she will take up the city's offer for help on the damage.
“At least for my heater. Whatever I can get back,†she said. “It's just going to be hard. Sometimes I think I'm still in shock. I don't even know if I really feel cold or anything. I'm just scared.â€
