Heavy Rainfall Brings Worries, Warnings in Grosse Pointes

Many streets throughout the five Grosse Pointes were submerged following the steady rainfall that began before dawn Wednesday. The conditions followed predictions by the National Weather Service, which warned of potential urban flooding due to the heavy rainfall, high winds and falling leaves. 

This is the first significantly heavy rainfall for the area since hundreds in in their basements in early September.

Residents in the Farms, who had already faced flooding this year, have been chattering on social media sites about obsessively checking their basements throughout the day, including the Grosse Pointe Patch Facebook page.

Meanwhile, Public Safety Department issued an alert Wednesday night warning residents of the potential of flooding due to the heavy rainfall. The alert details that the Woods waste water removal system is combined, meaning it removes storm water and raw sewage in the same lines.

Much of the frustration in the Farms related to the problem being isolated to the Inland District, where there is a combined sewer system. It is the only area of the Farms that remains on a combined system.

Similar to the Woods, the Farms has been installing restricted flow covers on their drains since the first major flooding in May. The result of the restricted flow cover is that more water remains on the streets for a longer time to prevent the sewer system from being overloaded—accounting for today's flooded streets. 

The rain is expected to continue overnight and throughout Thursday, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a hazardous weather outlook. With high winds, heavy rain and falling leaves, there is great potential for urban flooding, according to the outlook.

The Woods alert says Department of Public Works crews will be out during the rain ensuring the drains area clear of debris, such as leaves, and to monitor the rainfall.

Anyone in the Woods who experiences backup in their basements is asked to all the Department of Public Works from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. After hours, residents are encouraged to report any problems to the public safety deparment.