Dearborn Reveals Multiple Projects To Prevent Flooding During Storms

DEARBORN, MI — Dearborn officials on Thursday revealed current and future projects that they believe will help tackle flooding in the city during heavy rainstorms.

"Just a few months after [devastating flooding], I was elected as mayor of this city, with the promise that we would better prepare the city for floods and heavy rain events in the future," Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said. "We’re building resilience, we’re being proactive and prepared, and what we have done [thus far] has already yielded results."

A study showed Dearborn’s combined sewer and stormwater system can only handle roughly 3.5 inches of rainfall per day, leaving it vulnerable to heavy rainfall.

Hammoud said since 2021, officials have used $25 million in grant funding to address flood preparedness and upgrade stormwater infrastructure.

Those projects have included removing logjams in the Rouge River (removing up to 70 percent of water from the city), work with residents along Morrow Circle to create bioswales that could absorb up to 40,000 gallons of water during a storm and investing in green infrastructure and permeable surfaces at parks and green spaces, officials said.

Other short-term projects in East Dearborn include two new pumps that will move water into the river (sparing more than 12,600 homes in East Dearborn from flooding), two additional pumps that will help prevent basement flooding in the area and new stormwater lines with new manhole covers to direct rainwater away from the sanitary system, officials said.

For a long-term solution, Hammoud pointed to stormwater projects, specifically citing sewer separation as the most cost-effective long-term solution.

He highlighted Project 1, or "Notre Dame," which will impact 800 acres on the southwest side of the city alone. He is looking to work with the Army Corps of Engineers to study the city’s infrastructure and allow Dearborn to secure federal funding for these projects in the future.

"Our message today is clear: this is just the beginning. We’ve been working over the last four years on addressing flooding concerns," Hammoud said. "We’re doing the basics better, and we’re also investing in short-term solutions to give residents the confidence to continually invest within the city of Dearborn."