Things are at least looking better for a lot of residents in Monroe after ice jams in the River Raisin caused the river to overflow and create flooding on the streets.
It’s affected a lot of people in the area.
“I’ve been here 10 years and I’ve never seen it happen,” said Azia Hawthorne. “So this was really something. I believe they said that the river got 11 1/2 feet high.”
But at least the water levels are starting to go down for Hawthorne and others living on Murray Street in Monroe.
“It was a mess,” Hawthorne said. “And the water was a lot further up Murray than this too. And our basement got flooded.”
The melting ice ended up shutting down the streets multiple roadways, creating a watery nightmare for some on East Elm street.
“A couple of houses down here towards the corner, they really see a lot of garbage out,” said Kyle Maxwell. “You know, it’s a shame we probably got some water damage in their basement. I feel for them.”
But Maxwell’s home was just high enough to avoid any water damage.
“I was blessed,” he said.
Maxwell is just amazed at to see the river in such a frozen state.
“I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,” he said.
As far as commuters, some drivers have been deciding to take their chances driving through the receding waters.
“I had to go up the other way and make sure that someone was behind me to push me so I wouldn’t get stuck,” Hawthorne said.
But Hawthorne said she’s still playing it safe.
“I do see a couple of brave people in their pickup trucks going through, but my clearance is way too low for that,” she said.
Elm Street remains closed.
With temperatures getting ready to warm up, some of these people will likely be on edge.