Wayne County has declared a state of emergency and issued a public health advisory after severe thunderstorms swept across metro Detroit, causing flooding, contaminated water, and widespread damage.
The county warned residents in a health advisory to avoid contact with all rivers and streams because of contamination from flood runoff and wastewater overflows. Residents are also urged to abstain from eating fish from any body of water in the county.
A text alert was sent out Friday afternoon.
During heavy rainfall, sewage systems can become overwhelmed by the increased volume of water, causing sewage and stormwater to be dumped directly into bodies of water.
In Canton, partially treated sewage and stormwater were discharged into River Rouge. The wastewater may contain harmful contaminants, such as pathogens and chemicals that can pose health risks to anyone who comes into contact with the water, according to an advisory Friday from Wayne County Health Water Officer Dr. Abdul El-Sayed.
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said he declared a state of emergency on Thursday evening to expedite help and resources from the state and federal government after storms caused significant damage, downing trees and power lines and flooding homes and streets.
Possible tornadoes in the county were also reported by the National Weather Service.
Residents are also encouraged to avoid any downed power lines.
On Thursday evening, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the State Emergency Operations Center because of heavy flooding in southeast Michigan.
“Activating the State Emergency Operations Center ensures we can support communities in Southeast Michigan as they respond to the impacts of flooding,” Whitmer said in a news release. “We will get first responders and emergency crews on the ground the resources they need to keep people safe. Safety is our top priority, and we will get through this together.”
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