Eastbound I-94 remains closed for another 'week or two' as Detroit mayor plans to meet Biden

Detroit Free Press (MI)

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan plans to meet President Joe Biden in Traverse City this weekend to discuss the severity of the latest flood damages in southeast Michigan as one of the city's major arteries remains partially closed.

"I will be meeting with the president on Saturday to talk to him about the magnitude of what we're facing, not just with Detroit, but all of southeastern Michigan," Duggan said in a Tuesday announcement on expanding the city's response to the flood.

FEMA will also be in Detroit on Thursday to assess the flood damage, Duggan said.

The city is adding more crews to remove curbside debris from the flood damage. Detroit typically operates 28 garbage trucks for standard pickup but Duggan is adding 43 more until "all of the debris is gone," Duggan said. More than 150 community volunteers are helping residents clean out debris, starting with the most affected areas based on "intense" reports.

"We are going to move to all of the neighborhoods in the city from the most affected to the least affected," Duggan said. "So in the coming days, if you're in these neighborhoods, these are the one where we have the most intense reports...once we get through those, we've got some other neighborhoods that were not as hard hit but were still hit, we will get to those as well."

Duggan also asks residents to move cars away from debris piles to make room for pickup vehicles. Crews will be out starting Friday.

Freeways were also shut down amid the extensive rainfall and flood. Eastbound I-94 from Michigan Avenue to West Grand Boulevard is still closed, MDOT spokesperson Diane Cross said in an email.

"There was extensive damage to the roadway from the 4 days of flood waters which eroded the support under the concrete under Warren Avenue. We expect it to be a week or two before that can be repaired and then reopened," Cross said in an email.

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Tuesday's announcement marks the mayor's second this week in response to flood damage.

Duggan, alongside Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a plan earlier this week to seek federal assistance from Biden to help reimburse Detroiters for flood damage.

If Biden declares the Detroit area a major disaster area, FEMA funds will unlock for anyone who lost property or faced damage to their homes. Duggan recalled then-President Barack Obama declared a regional disaster after a similar 2014, but it took another five weeks to receive aid.

Duggan is urging residents with flood damage to clean and repair their homes, and file a claim. Anyone with water in their basements that appears hazardous is encouraged to call DWSD at 313-267-8000 for crews to help resolve the matter.

"There should not be standing water in your basement. The sewers have been cleaned out for days, really since Sunday. If there's water in your basement, something else is going on," Duggan said, adding that residents should call the DWSD hotline if that's the case.

Seniors or anyone with a disability can call the DWSD for moving assistance. Volunteers can also sign up online to help. Once debris is removed, residents should begin cleaning and repairing, and call their insurance company.

To file a claim, visit detroitmi.gov/waterdamageclaims.

Contact Dana Afana: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @DanaAfana