Residents of southwest Detroit are stuck without their vehicles after a water main broke, flooding neighborhoods before a flash freeze that left snow-covered vehicles frozen and inoperable. The flood began on Monday around 2 a.m., when a 54-inch steel water main, built around 1930, suddenly burst. It sent torrents of water flooding out in all directions from an ever-widening crater. Officials are still trying to determine what caused the huge pipe to burst. Temperatures were well below freezing at the time of the break and water and ice were as deep as 5 feet in some areas. The City of Detroit will use funds from its water and sewer department and the water authority to pay for uninsured damage to furnaces and hot water heaters, but there’s no word on whether the damaged automobiles will be covered as well. Many snow-covered vehicles were stuck in water up to their wheel wells or engine hoods until the water finally drained. The bottoms of their tires remained encased in ice Wednesday and frozen to the pavement. Residents were provided with free Uber rides to get to and from work and to get essentials like groceries. The rides have to be ordered through the city by calling the emergency hotline.
