Flooding strands drivers and prompts more than a dozen rescues over the holiday weekend
By Simon Shaykhet
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HOLLY TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WXYZ) — Parts of Holly Township remain closed to traffic after heavy flooding over the holiday weekend left drivers stranded in more than 2 feet of water. First responders rescued more than a dozen people, including a couple trying to make it to church on Easter Sunday.
Detour routes are in the works to bypass the flooded areas. Chief Matt Weil with the North Oakland County Fire Authority said heavy rain from Saturday night into Sunday accumulated quickly due to poor drainage, which is an ongoing issue in the area.
Rising waters led to dangerous situations that Weil said could have been avoided.
“The biggest challenge is common sense. A bunch of water on the road and people still think they can drive through it,” Weil said.
Weil noted that one vehicle was completely submerged in the floodwater.
“She had to climb out and stand on the roof. Miraculous no one was injured. Just the sheer speed that some folks drive through there, they don’t understand hydroplaning and how much power water has,” Weil said.
Jo Ann Stevenson and Dale Metcalf were among those rescued. They found themselves stranded in floodwater while driving through the intersection of North Holly and Elliot.
“We went chooo, and the car just quit,” Stevenson said.
Metcalf showed me how high the water reached on his SUV. The couple admitted to bypassing safety measures before getting stuck.
“We went around a barricade, which he shouldn’t have done. He’s never done it before. It’s like we figured if we didn’t go that way, we’d have to go all the way around,” Stevenson said.
“So I thought. I think I can make it through. I made it halfway, and the car died,” Metcalf said.
The couple used OnStar to call for emergency help.
“We told them we need a collision truck to get pulled out. They wanted us to get on top of the car. I said we can’t do it at our age,” Metcalf said.
First responders safely removed the couple and others from the water. Images from Byers Wrecker Tow Company showed some people clinging to the back of a fire rig.
Stevenson said she is grateful they still got a ride to church, but the real blessing is that everyone was rescued and vehicles can be repaired or replaced.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We were so happy to see the guy with the rubber suit. Hanging onto this arm and that arm. They’re fantastic,” Stevenson said.
Weil reminded the community to always obey marked signs for safety when dealing with flooded roads.
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