Dearborn Heights Residents Face Devastating Flooding After Severe Storms

DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. — Residents of Dearborn Heights waded through knee-deep water after severe storms swept across Metro Detroit late Wednesday and into Thursday, leaving many homes damaged and communities struggling to cope with the aftermath.

Among those affected, local resident Natalie Fera flagged down a FOX 2 crew on Hanover Street to showcase the extensive damage to her basement. “Had to pull up my baseboards at 5 in the morning. Thankfully I have nice neighbors,” she said, highlighting the resilience of community support in difficult times. “Every time it rains my heart starts skipping.”

Fera, who inherited a hand-me-down home from her parents, remarked on the emotional toll of dealing with recurring flood damage. “Now I’m ripping it all up just to do it all over again,” she lamented, recalling how her father had renovated the basement before he passed.

The Prestons, another family affected by the flooding, expressed frustration over a lack of communication when purchasing their house. “I went downstairs, and I heard water rushing through my back door,” Gary Preston recounted. They have faced similar vulnerabilities, highlighting a long history of flooding linked to the overflowing Ecorse River in South Dearborn Heights.

“If you’re going to keep raising my taxes every year, let’s fix the problem,” Susan Preston implored, underscoring residents’ growing concern about recurring storm damage amid increasing tax rates.

In response to the ongoing flooding issues, Mayor Bill Bazzi surveyed the damage thoroughly on Thursday. When asked about potential solutions, he acknowledged the complexity of the situation. “It’s not a short answer,” Bazzi stated. He noted that Wayne County is actively working on flood mitigation efforts upstream, which include clearing a creek jam as well as collaborating with the Army Corps of Engineers on a new retention basin.

Despite these efforts, Bazzi candidly addressed the longstanding issue of construction in flood-prone areas. “They shouldn’t have built homes here in the ’60s, but they did, and now we have to fix it,” he added, highlighting the challenges that local governments face when addressing environmental concerns.

As residents begin to assess the damage and contemplate their next steps, the need for effective and timely solutions to flooding remains a pressing issue for the Dearborn Heights community.