Storms & flash flooding in August
On August 23 and 24, severe thunderstorms produced very significant flooding totals and power outages, some not seen in over a decade. The worst areas effective were Wayne County’s west end (where neighboring Belleville recorded 7.36″ of rain in a six-hour span), which would close access to Metro Airport’s McNamara Terminal due to the closure of Dingell Drive, the main artery road to that terminal.
Shown above are flooding conditions on I-275 in the Romulus area during that time. The severe weather system spawned seven tornadoes state-wide, including one near Gibraltar. DTE Energy recorded over 50,000 power outages, while Consumers Energy listed 24,200 without power at its peak.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer would name Wayne County among six total counties declared in a State of Emergency, releasing extra funding and manpower to assist with the conditions. “Michiganders are tough,” Whitmer declared, “and we have each other’s backs.”
Fire tears through Meadows complex
On October 3, a two-alarm fire call was sent to the Meadows senior apartment building on Allen north of Pennsylvania Road in Southgate. The blaze, as shown to the left (courtesy FOX2 Detroit), engulfed much of the central portion of the complex and left 129 seniors homeless. To date, it was the largest fire ever seen in the city’s 65-year history. Fortunately, there were no deaths recorded, mostly due to the heroic efforts of officers called to the scene, many of whom entered the building without fire equipment to hand-rescue trapped residents.
The responding officers would be honored at a ceremony the following March for their efforts in the rescues. No official cause of the fire was initially announced.
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