DETROIT (WXYZ) — Tuesday marks one year since a massive water main break devastated neighborhoods in Southwest Detroit, sending a wall of icy water rushing through streets, trapping cars, and flooding homes.
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The disaster forced families from their homes, some with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
While the city says recovery has been remarkable, with nearly 100% of claims settled, some residents like Mike and Michelle Muzzey are still dealing with the aftermath.
"The container, look on the bottom shelf here. There's still water, there's still water," Mike Muzzey said, showing damage that persists in his home.
The Muzzeys say they're still wringing out water from their belongings one year later.
"I could not believe it was coming through the windows. I mean, my windows were sealed with caulk, and it still came through the windows," Mike Muzzey said.
The water main break damaged 200 homes in Southwest Detroit. For the Muzzey family, the flooding was devastating.
"We lost everything in our basement, I mean, there was nothing we could save in our basement. Nothing," Michelle Muzzey said.
Water rushed into their basement and rose all the way up to the eighth step of their stairs, destroying their furnace, water tank, pictures, and power tools.
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"When we came outside, you couldn't see nothing out here, all the trash cans were gone. The water was halfway up my car, it was halfway up my husband's truck, so a lot of us lost our vehicles here," Michelle Muzzey said.
Dust and grime still cover many of Mike Muzzey's items from the flood damage.
Gary Brown, director of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, said the break wasn't preventable.
"These 54-inch pipes are under pressure, there's water flowing through them, they're not easily accessible...and we expected this particular pipe to have another 50 years of life," Brown said.
Brown said the city has settled almost 100% of their claims, with only 2-3 claims remaining. He said every household affected is back in their home.
"I want to thank all of the residents who were affected. This was a horrible situation to be put through, I thank them for their patience," Brown said.
The city estimates the total cost of recovery and repairs at roughly $12 million, split among the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, the Great Lakes Water Authority, and the City of Detroit. Officials say they're keeping a close eye on aging infrastructure.
The Muzzey family says it's been a long road to recovery, but they're managing.
"We've pretty much gotten to a point where we've done some repairs...and I'm still kind of dealing with some of it," they said.
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