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Gov. Snyder Compared Detroit Flood Victims’ Losses To Water Damage At His Lake House

By Dawn Papple
Published on: 12:10 PST, Aug 18, 2014

Governor Rick Snyder tried to demonstrate solidarity with the victims of this month’s Detroit flooding, saying, “I’ve been there myself,” during a radio interview with WJR host Frank Beckmann. Beckmann urged the Michigan governor to elaborate on the similarities between his own rough times and the hardships of Detroit residents who have battled with backed up drainage systems, flooded basements, freeways under feet of water, and dangerous commutes. Some Detroiters were stuck in feet of water for hours when their vehicles became stranded by quickly rising waters. Detroit received over four and a half inches of rain, and most of the rain fell within just three hours. Some areas of Detroit freeways were flooded with 14 feet of water.

Detroit, suffering from a deteriorating infrastructure, fell victim to both the downpour and Detroit’s failing drainage systems. At least five highways were closed because they were impassable. Diving crews were sent to sift through the flood waters in some areas of Detroit. Over 20 thousand people were without power.

Currently, Detroiters are still struggling with insurance companies and trying to figure out how to get the smell of sewage out of their houses, washers, dryers, and family keepsakes. The cleanup from the flood has been overwhelming.

“Have you really?” Beckmann asked Governor Snyder. “A lot of people look at you, Governor Snyder, and they go, you know, here’s the rich nerd who’s always had it well because he’s been successful, he’s never been impacted by this flooding stuff.”

During the flood, one woman died while stranded in her car. ABC News reported that a 100-year-old woman drowned in her her own basement. A 68-year-old man passed away while trying to push his van out of the rising flood waters, according to CBS.

“I’ve been through a lot of things like that, Frank,” Governor Snyder explained. “We just recently had holes in our roof from storm damage to our lake house. We have a vacation place, and we had a limb come down, put holes in the roof and had water running through the whole place. Those experiences are not pleasant ones.”

Governor Snyder didn’t happen to mention if, during the unpleasantness at his lake house, anyone died. Governor Snyder also did not mention how many emergency personnel, if any, were required when the leaks in the ceiling at his vacation home caused all of the unpleasantness.

As the governor attempted to commiserate with the Detroit area flood victims, many have been abandoned by their insurance companies. Lives were destroyed in Detroit last week. Some victims of the flooding in Detroit are living in tents because their homes have been unfit for living in. A week after the rains, according to WXYZ News, Snyder toured some of the areas hit by the flooding. He urged everyone to document everything, save receipts, and take photographs to turn into local emergency operations and to be eligible for FEMA assistance.

“People need to keep receipts when there is damages because this full information then has to be accumulated by the state, so the Governor can make the request from FEMA,” Congressman Sander Levin told the media. Governor Snyder promised that once the total damages from the Detroit flood are calculated, assistance from FEMA will be swift.

[Photo via Wiki Commons]

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