Numerous inches of rain caused flooding problems for plants and shipping yards.
On June 25, as the sun set, a series of severe thunderstorms brought torrential rain to Michigan. The next day brought more rain and at most one tornado. In Detroit, seven inches of rain fell in a very short time. It was enough to flood parts of the city. General Motors appears to have been unaffected, but the opposite is true for Ford or Jeep. The flooding problem continues to plague parts of the region, as the WDIV video shows. Marvin Johnson posted a very dramatic Facebook photo (below), which shows extreme flooding at a Jeep factory. This was later identified by the Detroit Free Pressas an area near the Stellantis Jefferson North Assembly Plant on Detroit’s northeast. Stellantis representatives told the Detroit Free Press about significant flooding at the plant that assembles the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango. Workers were also prevented from getting to the plant by road closures, which caused first-shift production to be stopped. 25 vehicles were also damaged by flooding at the shipping yard. However, investigations continue and it is possible that those vehicles can be scrapped. Stellantis representatives confirmed to Motor1.com that the shipping yard was dry and that vehicle assessments were ongoing. Production was also resumed at Jefferson North at 4:30 pm on June 26,
Dearborn, Ford’s hometown, was among the most affected areas. Both the F150 as well as the Bronco were also affected. According to the report F-150 production was affected by the flooding on Saturday. Bronco production was halted at the Wayne Assembly Plant due to a leaky roof. However, both stops were short-lived. Motor1.com was told by a Ford spokesperson that Bronco production is back up and that the time lost due to the missed shift has already been made up. Production of the F-150 is also on its way. Following the Friday storms, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared an emergency in the Detroit area. The torrential rains and widespread power outages that were caused by the storms overwhelmed pumps stations meant to maintain roads. Many major roads and highways became rivers, with water deep enough for some vehicles to be on their roofs.