Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced Thursday that over 90 percent of the families displaced by the water main break and subsequent flooding in Southwest Detroit have returned to their homes.

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The city has replaced 125 furnaces and 126 hot water heaters in affected homes, with just a few left that need replacing.

Resident Deanna Dooley has lived on Rowan Street for 20 years. She says she was impressed with the response from the city.

“When we woke up in the middle of the night, none of us knew what we were going to do,” she said. “But within 24 hours, at least we all felt safe again. We weren’t whole, but we were safe.”

Dooley says her furnace, hot water heater and all the electrical wiring in her basement were replaced and her family is back in their home.

Homeowners who still need to make a claim have until Thursday, April 3 to file. Duggan says the emergency hotline for repairs will be discontinued on Sunday. Anyone who still needs help can call 877-311-3664. The Notice of Claim form can be found in English and Spanish at detroitmi.gov. 

Other headlines for Thursday, March 27, 2025:

• President Donald Trump announced yesterday  25 percent tariffs on cars and light duty trucks imported into the US. That will have an impact on Detroit’s Big Three automakers. Ford Motor Company has three plants in Mexico, and reportedly sent roughly 176,000 cars from there to the US just in the first half of 2024. General Motors imported about 750,000 vehicles into the US from Canada or Mexico last year. Stellantis also has assembly plants in Mexico and Canada. Congresswoman Debbie Dingle supports the tariffs, but says car companies and suppliers need time to adjust to them. She says while the tariffs could bring companies back to the US, it won’t happen overnight.
• Detroit City Councilmember Fred Durhal is hosting a career support and opportunities event for returning citizens. The Dress for Success resource fair will provide professional support and other help to returning citizens in Detroit. Residents can pick up donated business casual attire, receive help writing resumes and get interview etiquette training. The event will be Friday, March 28 from 2–4 p.m. at Covenant Community Care on 17625 Joy Road. To register and learn more, visit @freddurhal3 on Instagram.
• Signup for the Plan Detroit Policy Workshops is now open. The workshops allow Detroit residents to sound off on decisions that will affect Detroit neighborhoods, environment, culture, transportation and economy. Participants will sit in on guided discussions, collaborate with residents and work directly with city planners to develop policy recommendations. Workshops begin on Saturday, April 12 at the Joseph Walker Williams Community Center. To register, visit plandetroit.com.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan delivered his final State of the City address Tuesday night, speaking to an invitation-only crowd at the new Hudson’s development in downtown Detroit.

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Duggan spent much of the speech reviewing the city’s successes over the past decade, and focused on some highlights of the past year — such as the lowest homicide rate since 1965 and growth in Detroit’s population for the first time since 1957.   

One of the big challenges for the Duggan administration was the need to eliminate abandoned homes.  There were 47,000 at the start of his tenure.  Last night, he predicted that by the end of the year there would only be 1,000 abandoned homes left in Detroit. 

“Detroit’s biggest battle for the last 12 years has been the neighborhoods, and the 47,000 abandoned houses. I thought we could bring every neighborhood back, and we started by demolishing at rates faster than anybody in the country. But to me the real test wasn’t how many we could knock down…but how many we could save,” he said.

Duggan credited much of the city’s turnaround to the ability of city leaders to work together, instead of fighting and blaming each other for existing problems. Duggan announced late last year that he would not seek a fourth term as mayor of Detroit.

In January, he declared his intentions to run for governor of Michigan – not as a democrat or a Republican – but as an independent. He’s been making stops in different corners of the state since then. 

Other headlines for Wednesday, March 26, 2025: 

• Detroit attorney Todd Perkins has sent out information saying he’ll formally announce the beginning of his campaign for mayor next week.
• Gas prices remain steady in metro Detroit, with AAA Michigan reporting the average price of a gallon of self-serve unleaded is $3.10 — the same as it was a week ago. Prices did jump over the past couple of weeks.  Industry analysts say that price increase was due to higher gasoline demand as Americans travel for spring break.
• March Madness continues to capture the attention of metro Detroiters — especially with the state’s two largest universities — University of Michigan and Michigan State — still in contention for a national championship.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.