DETROIT (WXYZ) — Between 150 and 200 homes in Southwest Detroit were impacted after a massive 54-inch water main break early Monday morning left streets flooded with several feet of water.
City officials said this was the worst water main break they had ever seen.
It happened in the area of Lafayette Boulevard and Beard Street. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said the 54-inch Great Lakes Water Authority main broke around 4 a.m. Monday.
Previous coverage: 54-inch water main break floods SW Detroit neighborhood
We were on the scene as residents had to be evacuated from their homes. Many residents called 7 News Detroit Monday morning reporting they were stuck inside their homes as they filled up with water.
Boats were used by firefighters who rescued families from their homes.
Related video: First responders rescue more than 200 from SW Detroit water main break flooding
In an update just before noon Monday, the Great Lakes Water Authority said that the water main break has been isolated and water levels are receding. Water has been restored to most homes. The bigger concern is homes without heat and the massive damage that's been caused.
In all, they say they rescued 54 adults, 22 children and 12 pets from the neighborhood. Crews responded to the scene before sunrise and are expected to remain in the area through at least Tuesday morning.
INTERVIEW: Sheriff Michael Bouchard talks about helping with Detroit's water main break
In an update on Monday afternoon, Duggan, other city and GLWA officials said that residents who are impacted can call 313-774-5261 if they don't have heat or power and would like to stay in a hotel. The city said they have partnered with Sonesta Extended Stay Suites to get residents who are impacted into a hotel.
“This was a failure of the water main system,” Duggan said. “It took a couple of hours to find the valves that were covered in ice and snow to be able to isolate and shut off the water and identify exactly where the break was.”
Watch officials hold an afternoon press conference in the video below:
According to city officials, any uninsured damage will be paid for by both the city and GLWA with a 50/50 split, according to Duggan.
“It's a tragic situation — we understand that. Our heart goes out to the people impacted by this,” GLWA CEO Suzanne Coffey said.
Related video: Who will pay for repairs from massive Detroit water main break flooding?
Those residents who want inspections on their homes will also call 313-774-5261 to get the process started. The city also said they have partnered with Uber to get people rides if their car was impacted by the flooding.
Below is a map from the GLWA of the affected areas.
We spoke with two women who were searching for a solution. They have four kids between the ages of 4 and 13 in their home. The kids are safe, but one woman we spoke to said the water rose to their beds while they were sleeping.
"It was coming in really, really fast," the woman told us. "It has gone up to the first floor already... it's way too cold, I tried going in the water but I couldn't, it froze my legs up.
"It felt like Titanic," the woman continued. "Like pins and needles and burning. I've never felt pain like that before."
Residents we spoke to say they noticed the water main break around 3 a.m. Some said they looked out their windows and saw debris floating down the streets. Another man we talked with said he had to wade through the icy water to get to his car.
"My car is little, so I’m worried about my car and I go out and I don’t have any rain boots," said Roberto Camacho, who lives on Army Street. "I noticed it was really bad when one of the officers drove through and their car was just like flooded from — you couldn’t even see the wheels."
"It was like 3 in the morning when I woke up. My friend called me and she said she was stuck over there," Diego Hernandez said. "She got stuck, she can't get out because her basements flooded... The waters getting deeper and some of the car lights are completely covered by water."
You can see from video above that Green Street was underwater, along with three other streets that branch off of it. This water comes up to porches, even getting into people's basements.
Detroit police had Green Street blocked off from Lexington Street to Lane Street.
While many have evacuated, Raymond Hoskins decided to stay in his home Monday night, which is just a few doors down from a massive hole where the water transmission line broke.
Related video: Some people staying home despite massive water main break
His basement was flooded with about 5 feet of water, destroying his furnace and leaving his family without heat.
"It's very scary. This is our home. We're not rich. This is all we got right now and we have to do everything to save it,” Hoskins said.
Related Video: Meteorologist Mike Taylor breaks down how water main breaks can happen in cold temps
Repairing the area will likely take days if not weeks as residents are packing their patience.
“We know this is going to be a not very fast process. This is going to take a while, so patience, we're counting on that. We're counting on our patience and our faith right now to really get us through,” Hoskins said.
