Wayne County declares state of emergency, health advisory after storms and flooding
WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - Wayne County declared a state of emergency Friday following severe thunderstorms that pounded the area this week.
Officials say this is the first step in documenting the damage should the county need financial help from the state or Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
"When you need dollars, we've got to be collecting the data, and declaring that state of emergency is the first thing that has to happen," Rep. Debbie Dingell said.
The decision was made after County Executive Warren Evans, Dingell, and others visited communities hit hard by flooding Thursday.
Residents are asked to report flooded basements, roads, and any damage to their city to document it.
"We need to know if something's happened and if you need help," Dingell said.
The county also declared a public health advisory for all rivers and streams because of flood runoff and wastewater overflows. Pet owners should keep their animals away from puddles, especially near this area, and people should avoid touching river water. If you come in contact with these bodies of water or floodwater, was with soap and water.
Also, do not eat fish from any rivers or streams in Wayne County.
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Thunderstorms and heavy rain that fell overnight Wednesday into Thursday flooded many areas in Wayne County. Then, more storms moved through into Friday, leading to even more damage.
Some of the hardest hit areas include Canton Township and communities Downriver.
"We just don't have sewer systems that can handle it," Dingell said.
In Rockwood, a pipe that can only handle a couple of inches of rain got 7 inches in about four hours, she said. Other cities in both Wayne County and other counties had similar problems.
"My Washtenaw County drain commissioner called to me and said, ‘We had a once in a, not 100-year storm, 500-year storm, and we’ve got a lot of flooding," Dingell said.
In Flat Rock children were playing in sewage water.
"It looked fun, it was a pool. It was a pool of sewage," Dingell said. "We need to be really careful in these circumstances."
In addition to the flooding, the National Weather Service is also assessing possible tornado damage Friday.
Thursday afternoon, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency.
"Activating the State Emergency Operations Center ensures we can support communities in Southeast Michigan as they respond to the impacts of flooding," Whitmer said. "We will get first responders and emergency crews on the ground the resources they need to keep people safe. Safety is our top priority, and we will get through this together."