Detroit mayor praises responders in massive flooding: 'The people of this city are just remarkable'

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A little more than 24 hours after a massive water main burst in southwest Detroit, Mayor Mike Duggan is praising the work of people who rushed to the scene to help – and are still there today.

The 54-inch water main broke early Monday morning and sent water spewing into the streets for blocks, with that water making its way into homes and filling basements with water.

Just a few hours later, however, the water was receding as the city moved quickly to free up the drains and get the water flowing again.

"As of today, we are shifting from the rescue phase to the service phase," Duggan said.

By the numbers:

During an update on Tuesday, Duggan said there were 398 homes in the emergency flood zone, with the majority still being occupied.

20% of the families who were impacted stayed in a city-provided hotel while another 20% are staying with someone else. But the rest are still in their homes. 

"Very tight-knit neighborhood and they are pitching in together," Duggan said.

Of the nearly 400 homes in the zone, 190 of them have flooding in the basement and 174 have no heat. But just 72 homes are without power at this time.

And, while Duggan is congratulatory of the efforts, the job is far from done.

"There are right now on those streets 80 inspectors from the building and safety department, from the health department and the fire department," Duggan said.

Great Lakes Water Authority's Todd King said they still haven't figured out what caused the break.

"We have isolated the break, and we are beginning the excavation and the cleanup in the immediate vicinity of the break. Once that is completed and we’ve exposed the pipe, we will inspect it and determine what the cause of the water main break was," he said. 

The Great Lakes Water Authority is coordinating with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department to help those impacted by the flooding. 

The hard work continues and Duggan says the city's response shows how strong the people are.

"I want to say thank you to every one of the volunteers that is out on the street today," he said. "it was cold out there and you're walking down streets with piles of ice that you're having to navigate. The people of this city are just remarkable."

What you can do:

Donations are being collected for those impacted.

The Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation is collecting blankets, warm clothing, pet supplies, dry goods, and toiletries for flood victims.

Drop off donations at 1211 Trumbull in Detroit.

Donations of clothing, blankets, non-perishable food, and water can also be brought to the Patton and Kemeny rec centers, Detroit City Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero said.