Detroit saw a deluge of rain on June 25, 2021, that wreaked havoc across the region. Flooding has closed I-94 for days, stopped auto production at some plants, and paralyzed many areas. And a Jefferson North Assembly Plant holding yard used to haul finished vehicles to dealers got flooded. Observers could see hundreds of new vehicles. 

More rain is expected which also means more flooding

Mostly Jeep Grand Cherokees can be seen. But Chargers, Challengers, Ram trucks, Pacifica minivans, and more can also be spotted. They’ll all have to be written off as some are in the drink deep. And there could be even more flooding as more rain came on June 26, and will continue through July 1 according to the Detroit Bureau. 

“As a result of severe storms that came through Detroit on June 25, many expressways, surface streets, and neighborhoods in the area experienced significant flooding, including the Jefferson North Assembly Plant and an adjacent shipping yard,” Stellantis said in a prepared statement. Flood warnings were issued off and on throughout the weekend. By Saturday almost 50,000 were without power. Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for metro Detroit. 

The six inches of rain on Friday overloaded sewer systems, too. It flooded basements and generally wreaked havoc across Wayne county. It happened so quickly that some people abandoned their cars because the heavy rain made streets impassable. Partially submerged cars were being checked across the region by authorities for stranded drivers. 

The Detroit area is in a state of emergency

“We are continuing to work closely with emergency response coordinators and local leaders across the state to address widespread flooding,” Whitmer said. “The State Emergency Operations Center has been activated to coordinate our state’s response as we rush resources to affected areas, and the state of emergency declaration will help counties access even greater assistance. I want to thank everyone who has been working 24/7 to clear roadways, restore power and communications, provide emergency services, and make sure our neighbors have what they need to get through this storm. We’ve overcome tremendous challenges this year because Michiganders are a tough people who know that we are all in this together.”

At this point, nobody knows how many new Stellantis vehicles lay flooded in the holding area. Stellantis said it was “assessing the conditions of vehicles.” Obviously, if any can be salvaged they will be. Besides the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango SUVs are made there. The bad news for all involved is that both of those Stellantis products are in extremely short supply from the microchip crisis. 

Across town in Dearborn, a Ford F-150 manufacturing plant had to be closed from flooding. Workers were prevented from entering the facility. Ford also had to stop the assembly of Broncos after the roof sprang a leak. It only started production of the new Broncos two weeks ago.