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Rain Keeps Coming: Damage Across Metro Detroit Being Assessed

DETROIT (WWJ) - A day filled with record setting heavy rains drenched residents and flooded area freeways in Metro Detroit and residents are now assessing the damage done.

Nearly five inches of rain was reported in the city of Detroit on Thursday. Flooding left cars submerged in water on freeways and the need for several people to be rescued.

First Lieutenant Mike Shaw telling WWJ the heavy downpour kept troopers very busy.

"We handled over 200 calls for service; that depends on what it was, traffic crashes, people that were stuck, people that were calling to say they were in traffic jams. We handled 10 vehicles that were trapped in some type of standing water."

Shaw adding the reminder, that with several more days of rain in the forecast, to "please, please, please slow down. Make sure that you don't drive through standing water - make sure that you have plenty of gas in your car for the next couple of days. You may be stuck in different traffic jams as flooding continues."

Returning from work Timothy DeBois of Detroit had no idea what was in store for him. He found a portion of his sidewalk and a fence collapsed into a partially filled hole -- a hole left from the city after demolishing an abandoned house.

"What had happened -- the fence line, the sidewalk ... which is 670 Chalmers," said DeBois, "I left at nine o'clock this morning and I come back and the whole fence line and sidewalk to the back of the house -- collapsing near the side of the house."

Officials say the combination of heavy rain and falling leaves has caused debris build-up around catch basins leading to flooding.

Rain and possible flooding is expected to continue through the weekend. 

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