"They have to thaw out all those cars" — Internet reacts to viral video of street in Detroit submerged in ice after water main break

On Wednesday, February 19, @FearedBuck uploaded a tweet with a video clip of a Detroit neighborhood reportedly flooded with water from a main break, that froze in the weather.

The first half of the video clip showed cars frozen in ice during nighttime, while the second half was taken the next morning, with the situation looking the same.

The tweet has since caught the attention of netizens, with one of them commenting:

"D*mn they have to thaw out all those cars."

A netizen reacts (Image via X/ @Draghub1)

Some netizens appeared surprised at the odds of heavily snowing on one day and the water main break happening the next day.

"What are the odds of it snowing like crazy one day and then the very next day a water main break happens so unlucky legit," commented an X user.

"I bet that messes up your car bad," added another user.

"texting this to your boss, and he still says, 'so you're still making it to work right?'" wrote a netizen.

Meanwhile, others hoped that the situation would be addressed swiftly by the local authorities.

"People better get work off! How else can they be expected to drive into the office?" said a netizen.

"Hope local authorities can address the situation swiftly. This highlights the importance of infrastructure maintenance to prevent such incidents in the future. Stay safe out there!" commented another netizen.

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The water main in Detroit broke around 2 am on Monday

According to Planet Detroit, the flooding of Southwest Detroit is a consequence of a ruptured 54-inch water main, which flooded the streets and homes with water. The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) confirmed to the organization that the break happened around 2 am on Monday morning.

In a press conference held later that afternoon, Mike Duggan, the Mayor of Detroit, stated that the steel pipe continued to spill for several hours before crews could shut it off at around 7:30 am. It was originally built in the 1930s, with aging being a probable reason behind its break. The flooding resulted in streets coated with thick ice in water up to five feet.

Besides shutting off the pipe, crews also rescued about 54 adults, 22 children, and 12 pets from the frozen floodwaters, city officials reported. Inflatable boats and front-end loaders were used to help stranded residents evacuate the flooded areas.

Duggan also added in the press conference that the GLWA would cover all the uninsured damages caused by the water main break, saying:

"This was a failure of the water main system. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) and GLWA are going to pay for the damage and pay for your loss."

Among the facilities offered to residents affected by the flooding were:

• Free hotel stays, meals, and accommodations for pets at Sonesta Extended Stay,
• No-cost replacement of flooded furnaces, water heaters, and other appliances,
• Basement clean-ups and home inspections starting as soon as the flooding recedes
• Towing of all the damaged vehicles caught in the flood to the Fourth Police Precinct in Detroit for free storage.
• Free Uber rides for people whose vehicles were lost or damaged.

One of the affected residents suffered injuries and was hospitalized, while all the others remained unharmed.

Michael Muzzey, a resident of Southwest Detroit, talked to WXYZ News about the situation, saying:

"The first thing I thought was holy bleep. The second thing I thought was what am I gonna do about the cars. There’s several cars on this street that are pretty much out of commission."

Muzzey owned two cars— including a brand-new truck— both of which were affected in the flooding and were damaged beyond fixing. Alongside other neighbors, Muzzey claims to have been unable to get to work in days.

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The Detroit crews are still working to restore over 400 homes that are currently in the emergency flood zone.