Detroiters Still Sorting Through Aftermath of Flood

Orlando Bailey of Bridge Detroit says climate change is not the sole reason to blame for last month’s metro Detroit floods — government responsibility is also a large factor.

Detroit home affected by flood

People all over metro Detroit are still recovering from last month’s flooding, but residents on Detroit’s east side have been devastated by the heightened impacts of every flood event in the area for years. FEMA will be canvassing the city starting this week to assess the region’s flood damage, and journalist Orlando Bailey is urging Detroiters to open up their doors.  

“Rain in Detroit is a trigger for certain residents because they don’t know if they’re going to lose their homes.” –Orlando Bailey, Bridge Detroit 


Listen: How flooding compounds poverty for some Detroit residents.


 


Guest 

Orlando Bailey is engagement director of Bridge Detroit and co-host of the Authentically Detroit podcast. He says flooding in the city displaced residents already disproportionately affected by other crises. “It really is an outsized event that has traumatized and is further stripping the wealth from homeowners.” Bailey says flood events in the metropolitan area are most destructive in areas like the east side, where the median income is $27,000 a year. “There’s not a lot of wiggle room for people to replace hot water heaters, replace their cars.” 

Bailey says he remembers the large number of east-side residents contacting him during the 2014 floods worried about their houses. “Rain in Detroit is a trigger for certain residents because they don’t know if they’re going to lose their homes.” He says policymakers need to be held responsible for their role in neglecting Detroit residents’ living conditions, even when not in a weather emergency. “There was a feeling of indifference on part of our municipal leadership and our state leadership … I want to hear from the city movement of resources …This last flood is crisis level for so many people.” 

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  • Detroit Today
    Dynamic and diverse voices. News, politics, community and the issues that define our region. Hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Stephen Henderson, Detroit Today brings you fresh and perceptive views weekdays at 9 am and 7 pm.
  • Nora Rhein
    Nora Rhein works with the production team on "Detroit Today with Stephen Henderson" on 101.9 WDET. She's very proud to be a public radio nerd.