Rainfall ranging from 3 to 6 inches fell throughout the Metro Detroit area on Monday August 11, 2014, breaking the record of 4.75 inches set in 1925. The average rainfall for the entire month of August in Detroit is 3 inches according to the National Weather Service. The storm exceeded the capacity of the region's wastewater and storm water systems, and flooding caused significant damage to the interstate highway system, submerged hundreds of vehicles, inundated basements, and forced manhole covers off sewer mains. Freeways were closed for nearly 48 hours due to the extensive damage, and significant repairs are required. Governor Rick Snyder authorized a state of disaster for Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties to make state resources available to the hardest hit areas. In 2001, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments estimated the region needed $14-26 billion in sewer upgrades by 2030, but this week's storms suggest even more funds may be needed. Preliminary data show Macomb County recorded more than 1 billion gallons in overflows from storm-retention basins and sewers.

On August 13, 2014, a record setting rainfall of 9 to 13 inches in 24 hours fell in the New York area, breaking the 11.6 inch record set in 2011.  Like the Detroit area, the storm resulted in heavy flooding, evacuated homes, closed highways, and abandoned cars.

 

For more information, contact Elin Betanzo, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. 

NEMWI Intern Emily LaRosa came to Washington, DC in January 2014 as a Carnegie Mellon undergraduate majoring in Ethics, History and Public Policy. During her stint at NEMWI, she worked on various projects for our Great Lakes Washington Program and the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative. Emily gained working knowledge about government infrastructure and economic strategies, conducted research on funding for special projects, and wrote a proposal for translating the Tributary Model Program from Great Lakes to Mississippi River, which is currently in use by the City of Memphis. Emily's plans after her 2015 graduation are to travel and then pursue her master's degree. We wish her continued success on her life and career path.