Detroit Gets $8.9M In Federal Funds For 'Green Infrastructure' To Fight Flooding
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - Detroit is getting $8.9 million in federal funding to help the city better prepare for future floods and other natural disasters.
The money announced Friday by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also will help with planning and implementation of projects in the Brightmoor, Mount Elliot and McDougall-Hunt neighborhoods. It follows storms that brought severe flooding in August 2014.
HUD says the storms resulted in over 10 billion gallons of combined sewer overflow, including 6 billion gallons from Detroit's system. According to the city, more than 58,000 Detroit households suffered some level of housing damage.
The severe weather and flooding also impacted Detroit's overall economy, the city said, damaging and disrupting critical manufacturing and freight operations as well as small businesses.
WWJ's Charlie Langton, who was present at the announcement on Friday, said they're calling it "green infrastructure." The plan is to put vacant lots to good use by creating a vegetation system that would help prevent floods.
"(We're putting in) trees and plants that have extensive root systems that absorb water," Mayor Mike Duggan explained. "And when we build it out, we're going to use the vacant property in Detroit, so when the rain hits — instead of running up your property and into your basement — it's gonna run into the vacant landscaped area and be absorbed into the vegetation."
In Brightmoor, plans call for green streets, public facility improvements and urban agriculture to improve stormwater management. In Mount Elliot, plans call for large-scale solar panel array. And in McDougall-Hunt, other stormwater management work is planned.
Plans also call for demolishing vacant properties in areas affected by flooding.
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