Flooding Creates a Lot of Headaches for Metro Detroiters

DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. (WJBK) - From flooded basements to flooded roadways, Tuesday's soaker really created a lot of headaches for a lot of people. Cleanup is pretty slow going, including along a section of the Southfield Freeway, which remained closed to traffic Wednesday.

The rain has stopped and the water is receding, but for some people their problems are just beginning.

"I'm going to probably have to replace my furnace. Everything in the crawlspace … is going to have to be thrown out," said Paul Scott.

Eugene Bielski could only stand by and watch as his SUV got towed away. Like many others, he played chicken with the rising water and lost.

"It probably needs an engine now," he said. "I couldn't drive it anymore, so I [had] to buy another car because I [missed] a day of work yesterday and I can't afford to miss another one."

Tuesday's all day soaker left much of metro Detroit waterlogged, including a section of the Southfield Freeway near Outer Drive in Allen Park, which remained closed to traffic Wednesday. Ecorse Creek spilled its banks sending water gushing onto the highway. Pumps just couldn't keep up.

Once the water has receded, crews will turn their focus towards cleaning the roadway. We're told they hope to have it back open for rush hour traffic Thursday morning, but there is no guarantee.

Meanwhile, Jason Smith is pretty much fed up with Mother Nature. This is the fifth time in ten years his Dearborn Heights basement has flooded. There's little left to salvage.

How much does he think he's lost?

"Basement full of carpet, two couches, TVs, entertainment centers -- I mean over the whole time that I've been here two refrigerators, two washer and dryers, two furnaces, water heater, just stuff you can't get back," he said.