Southeast Michigan Flood Recovery

On August 11, 2014, the Detroit metro area experienced record breaking rain fall, exceeding 6” in a 4 hour span. This flood was the largest FEMA declared disaster in 2014, yet it has been largely forgotten -except by those still dealing with its aftermath. The flood has come and gone, but it has left behind a host of problems for thousands of homes across Southeast Michigan.

Flood damage can have a serious impact on resident health:

• Asthma is the most common chronic condition among children and is exacerbated by mold and moisture.¹ Mold exposure has been linked with respiratory illness, such as asthma, in otherwise healthy children.²
• Flooded basements can lead to broken furnaces, boilers and hot waters leaving families without adequate heat in the frigid Michigan winter months.

Before the August 2014 flood, Detroit already had significant housing issues:

• According to the 2013 State of Healthy Housing report, Detroit’s basic housing quality ranked 43 out of 44 cities in the US.³
• A study assessing 500 randomly selected homes in Detroit found that approximately 63% contain at least one serious health or safety hazard with excess cold, mold and moisture, and excess heat as the most prevalent.⁴
• In 2015, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America Asthma Capitals report ranked Detroit as the 4th most challenging place to live with asthma in the U.S., up from 10th in 2014.⁵

The Southeast Michigan Flood Recovery Group (SEMIFRG) seeks to establish and maintain a network of private and public charitable resources that will provide recovery assistance to individuals affected by the disaster of the Southeast Michigan flood of August 2014. SEMIFRG provides the volunteer leadership for this long-term recovery effort and coordinates the services available to residents.

Learn more about this group by visiting http://semfloodrecovery.org/. You can also view a PowerPoint presentation providing an overview of the group and its efforts by CLICKING HERE.

Click the Donate button below to support the efforts of the Southeast Michigan Flood Recovery Group (SEMIFRG). Please note that all donations will be processed through the Southeastern Michigan Health Association, the fiduciary for the group.

• All Hands Volunteers
• American Red Cross
• AmeriCorps NCCC
• City of Detroit
• Green & Healthy Homes Initiative Detroit-Wayne County
• Green Door Initiative
• Habitat for Humanity Detroit
• Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit
• Jewish Family Service of Metropolitan Detroit
• Mennonite Disaster Service
• Michigan Community Service Commission
• Michigan Nonprofit Association
• Northwest Detroit Flood Recovery Project
• Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief
• The Salvation Army
• United Way for Southeastern Michigan
• Wayne State University Center for Urban Studies
• World Renew

1. “Asthma & Children Fact Sheet.” American Lung Association, Sept. 2014. http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/asthma/learn-about-asthma/asthma-children-facts-sheet.html.
2. “Asthma Triggers: Gain Control.” United States Environmental Protection Agency. http://www2.epa.gov/asthma/asthma-triggers-gain-control.
3. “2013 State of Healthy Housing.” http://www.nchh.org/Policy/2013StateofHealthyHousing.aspx. National Center for Healthy Housing, 2013.
4. Lasley, Carrie Beth and Thompson, TL. “HHRS as an Assessment Methodology.” Healthy Homes Mid-Year Conference. New Orleans, LA. 6 October 2015.
5. “Asthma Capitals 2015.” www.asthmacapitals.com. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 5 May 2015.