LoginThe Metro: Detroit’s Venice could be underwater. Who should protect it?
These days, when it rains, it much more often pours. That’s due in large part to climate change. Heat waves are longer, winds are stronger, and rains are heavier.
Meanwhile, much of metro Detroit’s infrastructure is old. And, combined with the downpours, it has led to more flooding. That’s true on Hinds Drive in Wayne County; it’s true in East Dearborn; and it’s true in Jefferson Chalmers, or the “Venice of Detroit.”
In 2021, the eastside neighborhood was declared a “high-risk flood zone” by FEMA after heavy rains flooded many basements and roads.
The City of Detroit recently announced a $1 million pilot program to repair or replace sea walls for low-income residents to protect them from flooding. What do people in the neighborhood make of this plan? What do they need to protect their neighborhood?
Blake Grannum is a longtime Jefferson Chalmers resident. She spoke with The Metro’s Robyn Vincent about that and more.
The Metro reached out to Detroit Council member Latisha Johnson, who oversees Jefferson Chalmers. Her office did not respond to our request for comment.
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