Governor Gretchen Whitmer was in Detroit on Monday touring the destruction after flooding rains hit the region over the weekend.More than six inches of rain fell in parts of Southeast Michigan on already saturated ground. That led to storm water and sewage backups into people’s homes.
Speaking to reporters on a stretch of flooded I-94, Whitmer says she has declared an emergency, adding that residents should eventually qualify for federal aid.
“We're encouraging people to clean up their basements. Keep an eye on the weather, document what you've had to do where keep your receipts and take pictures so that we can documents.”
Most areas of Metro Detroit do not require flood insurance and covering sewage backups costs hundreds of dollars per year.
In 2014, it took the Federal Emergency Management Agency more than a month to help people in Southeast Michigan affected by similar heavy rain event.