2016 Detroit East Side Flooding Event Analysis

On July 8, 2016, severe thunderstorms moved across the City of Detroit with the most intense rainfall occurring over the city’s east side. The rainfall intensity and the resulting flows exceeded the design criteria for the combined sewage collection and conveyance system, causing basement flooding throughout the City of Detroit. The areas with the most concentrated number of flooded basements were on the east side of the city, in the Jefferson-Chalmers and Cornerstone neighborhoods.

Following the July 8, 2016 flooding event, representatives of the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) and Detroit Water and Sewer Department (DWSD) attended a public meeting on July 20, 2016 organized by City of Detroit Councilman Spivey to provide the residents with information about the event. During the course of the public meeting, GLWA and DWSD stated their intention to further analyze the circumstances associated with the July 8th storm. This document presents the GLWA findings and the actions that GLWA is taking to address flooding in the east side of Detroit and continue to improve the overall level of service to the City of Detroit and other GLWA customers who are tributary to this area.