Detroit water main break: Community comes together to help

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Cleanup efforts continued after a water main break flooded parts of southwest Detroit, leaving hundreds of families rescued Monday morning.

The backstory:

A 54-inch water main broke on Monday morning at the intersection of Beard and Rowan Streets. The city says close to 200 homes were impacted. Beebe’s Food Center on Lafayette Blvd was not spared.

"It’s been rough. I’ve been up since 6 o’clock in the morning. I got woken up by my boyfriend’s friend calling us, talking about like you need to get a hold of your dad," said Caitlynn from Beebe’s Food Center. "You know everything was flooded."

What they're saying:

The good news as of 10 p.m. is the flooding is gone. The bad news is that the water has left snow and ice. Meanwhile, many residents tell FOX 2 that they are okay.

"Nobody can come in and out," she said. "Everything has been blocked off. Cops are blocking off each roadway, side street, anything. And then 6 o’clock in the morning everyone parking their cars in the parking lot to avoid the water. And I mean, even then, business has been crap."

The Great Lakes Water Authority says the water began receding around noon. Crews were out for hours, helping as many people as possible.

Local perspective:

Nonprofits and other organizations were by their side. Jessica Ramirez of ‘Detroiters Helping Each Other’ says she knocked on dozens of doors, directing them to warming centers and churches in the area.

But also learning that some were sticking it out.

"Among myself and other hundreds of volunteers, all over knocking on doors, health departments knocking on doors, trying to make sure people are okay if they need somewhere to go, to give them somewhere to go," said Jessica Ramirez. "Honestly, I had it said to me multiple times they’re scared to go to these places because they’re afraid that they might not be documented, and they might be taken."

So, she gives them phone numbers for resources and says when it gets warmer in a few days, that’s when the real work begins.

"I’m coming back and doing follow-ups at the end of the week to give them more time to breathe and assess everything because next week that’s when it’s going to hit," she said.

What you can do:

People were telling FOX 2 that crews from Oakland and Washtenaw counties were out there helping, knocking on their doors, making sure they were okay.

If anyone is in need of help, please call the Detroit Water and Sewerage Emergency Line at 313-774-5261.

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Detroit water main break: What officials are saying

Detroiters are being rescued from their homes after a 54-inch water main burst early Monday morning.