Lisa Burnett, June 22nd, 2024

Doris Lanzkron-Tamarazo: I'm Doris Lanzkron-Tamarazo, it's June 22nd, 2024, and I'm here with:

Lisa Burnett: Lisa Burnett.

DLT: Can you please spell your name?

LB: L i s a. Burnett, B u r n e t t.

DLT: All right, thank you. And do you live in the city of Detroit?

LB: Yes I do.

DLT: What neighborhood?

LB: Jefferson Chalmers, right here.

DLT: How long have you lived here?

LB: Since ‘97.

DLT: Have you lived in any other neighborhoods in Detroit?

LB: Yes.

DLT: Which neighborhoods?

LB: Rosedale Park area and Inkster.

DLT: And do you or did you work in the city of Detroit?

LB: I worked in, at Ford Motor Company and in Dearborn.

DLT: And what did you do for Ford Motor Company?

LB: No longer work for Ford. I'm retired.

DLT: What did you do while you work there?

LB: Purchasing.

DLT: All right. And can you tell me a little bit about the effects of flooding on this neighborhood?

LB: Flooding has been a little bit challenging, especially in ‘21 where we had one flood and then, two weeks later had another flood, and it just significantly, water back-up. I think it was due to the factor of not turning on the pumps in Conner Creek. And so therefore, a number of people in the city of Detroit, Jefferson Chalmers area, Grosse Pointe Park area, had water flooding in their basements, where the water just came up in the basement drains and filled their basement, some all the way up to the rafters. And had to go ahead and have pumps and try to drain out their basement and everything that was lost in the basement, pretty much.

DLT: And what was the effect on the neighborhood of having all of these basements flooded, all of this stuff lost in the flooding?

LB: It was significant for a number of people. You had to get rid of everything and clean out your basement and disinfect and everything. Some people felt that it was contaminated with sewage and more. And so therefore they had to have how many people coming out cleaning, replacing hot water tanks and furnaces. And just some people felt like they lost the value of their homes because they didn't feel that they’re comfortable with being able to have their basement be fully functional.

DLT: And did you personally have a lot of flooding?

LB: I dealt with different flooding issues and lost different things with the process and had to replace hot water tanks and furnaces, so it was challenging.

DLT: And what were the organizations that came out and did the cleaning and the replacing of furnaces and other materials?

LB: I mean, FEMA did come out, offered some assistance to some people, but a lot of it was, it's your problem and you have to clean it up and take care of it and manage the whole thing. So for a lot of people felt like, you know, it was additional challenges and struggles. DWSD [Detroit Water and Sewerage Department] I believe, offered some assistance to some people. But bottom line, it was very challenging for a lot of us that we had to deal with all that.

DLT: What was the second organization you mentioned?

LB: I said Water Board, DWSD did offer some assistance to some people. And you had to do it by a certain timeliness and all down the line to get some assistance with regards to it. But basically, that was a lot of work for a lot of people to deal with, of having to clean and get rid of and replace hot water tanks and furnaces. And some people are still trying to get their basements back in shape to where they were back in, before ‘21, when they had the flooding.

DLT: And what do you think these organizations should have done in response to the flooding?

LB: Well, I mean. I don't think I've really heard a good answer why the Connor Creek pump didn't get turned on, and it would have been good for that to have happened, so that the pumps were working and therefore would not have gone into the drainage system. As I understand that was the situation and caused the pumps to cause the backage into different homes. I admit there was a lot of rain during a certain window, but still.

DLT: And do you think there's been improved communication regarding Connor Creek and other pumping stations?

LB: I hope there is. [Laughter] We all hope there is. And that they have plan B, C, D, E, enough backups on top of it. Even the community organizations have volunteered to say, hey, well, give us a key. We'll go make sure it happens! I mean, it was devastating. I saw this one gentleman and he was like pulling all of his pictures of his family and having them all out in the front yard, that he was laying them out there because of the factor that he was trying to have them dry out. And so he had all of his photo albums in his basement and all down the line, and all this memorabilia in his front yard was like deluged with all those things. And he was just crying, sobbing over the loss of all that, you know, and trying to salvage anything he could.

DLT: And did you see a lot of neighbors affected in that way?

LB: I mean, there was tons of people stuff thrown out and losses, a just ridiculous amount of, you know, how much garbage trucks had to come through the area there afterwards and just pick up and keep picking up stuff and are just like, people were just putting stuff out regularly on a daily basis. How much, just trying to clean up their basements and get things handled.

DLT: And do you feel that the flooding in Jefferson Chalmers has gotten worse since you arrived?

LB: I mean, I think 2021 was an exceptionally unique situation. We had one flood, and like I said, it was like almost two weeks to the day. I mean, it was one day off that we had the second flood and we had it be significant and loss of different things. So people had to go and clean out their whole basements and try to remove whatever down the line. And if you replace the hot water tank or flood—or furnace in that window, you may have to have done it again because of the, because of the flood situation.

DLT: And how did people adapt to the situation? How did they deal with the loss of this equipment absent a lot of support from other organizations?

LB: I mean, some people, they were without hot water or furnace for a while until they could go ahead and afford it and get—different people refinanced their homes and doing different things to try to go ahead and pay for that cost. Other people have had different other issues and stuff like that. Just trying to, you know. You know, just replace the personal effects and stuff like that. So it was challenging. Some people put their furnaces and different things on blocks now, so they get, gives a little bit of a buffer trying to be protected to some degree or bought pumps or did the backflow preventers and stuff like that. So there's different efforts, people trying to help protect themselves as best as possible.

DLT: And would you personally attribute the 2021 flood to climate change or to other factors?

LB: I mean, there was a lot of rain during that time period and then the pumping didn't happen. So the water had to go somewhere, and so it ended up in people's basements and then started filling your basement gradually and gradually and higher and higher. And before you know it, you got a swimming pool in your basement and all your stuff in your basement floating in the debris, the water, you know.

DLT: And would you say there have been lasting impacts of the 2021 floods?

LB: Well, I think for some people a lasting impact is that some people are still somewhat afraid of doing certain things to their basement and re-finishing them. I mean, some people had their basements fully furnished and finished and felt like they lost a third or, you know, with a two story house, a third of their value of their home or something significant because of that. So, you know, that’s the effect for them. Some people are now like thinking maybe they can do something, but they're not really going to go do as much in their basement and make their basement as fully functional as it was.

DLT: Can you talk a little bit about the effects of Covid-19 on your neighborhood?

LB: Well, I think that Covid-19 was a very challenging time for people because it sort of, like, made people feel a little bit more isolated and concerned and didn't have all the facts, and feel a little bit guarded and extra protective of themselves and not knowing. And then the senior community feeling that they're more vulnerable, that they were apprehensive of taking the Covid shots, and just different challenges of just being out there and dealing with life.

DLT: And why do you think there was this apprehensiveness about the Covid shots?

LB: Well, for some people, just not trusting in the system and government, and some people just not knowing and feeling like you had enough information and prove-out time. I mean, everyone's rushing to go get a cure or, some type of calm the crazy going on, [Laughter] in a sense. And so therefore, there's a strong desire to go ahead and make things go back to normal, whatever the normal is. And I think we're always into a new normal, but we also still always want to reflect on what we know as normal. So there's the new normal, and the no-normal. Then most of us want to have the no-normal, because we know what we're dealing with, versus the new normal, and we all have to adapt to a new normal. But yet you still kind of, when you don't know what you don't know, you kind of get a little bit more apprehensive, of course.

DLT: And what do you think the new normal has been after Covid?

LB: [Laughter] That's kind of a loaded question. I think for different people it's, you know. For some, I think it's more live for today, and don't know what the heck's going to happen in the future. But then wanting to, like, be able to plan and have different things, but yet not knowing for sure what does that mean for you?

DLT: So you think it's been this atmosphere of uncertainty?

LB: I think there's a lot of uncertainty that’s going on in this whole world, even with the presidential campaign. Okay, [Laughter] what's the future hold and how are we looking at things and, you know, female rights and one thing or another, you know, down the line, etc.

DLT: And that was pretty much all the questions I had for you today. Was there anything else you wanted to discuss that none of my questions brought up on their own?

LB: No, that's it. That's fine.

DLT: All right. Thank you so much for your time.

LB: Okay. Thank you.