'Please let me make it through': Inside Detroit Metro Airport's flooded tunnel
Heavy rains on Monday caused significant flooding in Romulus, including the Detroit Metro Airport, which experienced a ground stop and inaccessible terminals.
Over 2.5 inches of rain fell in just over an hour in Romulus, leading to major traffic backups and delays for travelers trying to enter or leave the airport.
Drivers are advised to avoid flooded areas, as seen by one traveler's harrowing experience driving through deep water, and a passenger facing a two-hour delay after a long international flight.
ROMULUS, Mich. (FOX 2) - When Monday's heavy rains dumped several inches of water on Southeast Michigan, Romulus was hit the hardest, with over 2.5 inches of rain in a little more than an hour.
The rain fell so hard and so fast, a ground stop was issued at Detroit Metro Airport and McNamara Terminal was inaccessible due to flooding.
The driver said she was leaving the Delta terminal and driving down Dingell Drive through the tunnel, as deep water was flowing.
"Dear God, please let me make it through," the woman at the wheel could be heard repeating as she anxiously drove through floodwaters.
She was able to get through the water, but this is highly recommended against. If you see standing water, turn around and go a different way or wait out the water.
Big picture view
One man added at least two hours to his road trip home to Novi after flying 30 hours from India.
Massive flooding in Romulus and in tunnels leading to and from Detroit Metro Airport prompted major traffic backups and frustrating delays.
Sreeni Reddy zoomed with FOX 2 from his Uber ride home to Novi after a summer vacation in India.
"Somebody at the airport came in and then said both of the tunnels are flooded so nobody can get in, get out of the airport," he said. "We cross seven oceans but not two tunnels, I guess. We booked an Uber ride and then the ride kept saying 7 minutes, 10 minutes and then kept changing. We didn't know what was going on."
It unfortunately got worse from there.
"We were stuck at the airport for more than 90 minutes after nearly 30 hours of travel," Reddy said.
The Source
Information from Storyful and from previous reports on FOX 2 was used in this report.
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