Students in East Lansing see basement flood, collapse

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A house of students in East Lansing are shocked after their basement flooded and collapsed after Tuesday night’s storms. The residents say that their street flooded on Tuesday, with water reaching up to the second step of their porch.

“So we grabbed all of our towels, ran out of towels,” said Makenzie Wolcik, one of the residents.

When they went down to the finished basement, there were just a few puddles.

“So we were kind of making jokes about it because nothing was really happening,” said Wolcik.

The students didn’t think they had much to worry about—until their basement collapsed.

“The baseboard collapsed out and so water was rushing in, and then the wall caved in half,” said Wolcik.

The students say even the cement blocks in the walls were knocked out by the water, and the basement flooded up to the top of the steps.

Fortunately, no one was injured, but when the fire department arrived on the scene, the structural integrity of the house was declared too dangerous to occupy.

“They came in and told us that we weren’t allowed in the house at all after yesterday,” said Wolcik.

While on the scene, 6 News saw people wading through the water, attempting to salvage whatever they could from the flood.

Even though the students re-signed their lease for the upcoming school year, they are now forced to look for a new home.

Their house isn’t the only one that flooded—a carpet technician told 6 News that a house nearby flooded so badly that they removed 750 gallons of water.

“With the storms yesterday, we have gotten probably eight phone calls so far for water extractions like the location here,” said Christopher Alward, a carpet technician.

Alward says flooding is a big issue in East Lansing, and most calls stem from foundation issues caused by water. However, there are preventative measures you can take to keep your home safe.

“The biggest thing is when storms like this come, definitely make sure your septic tank has a water alarm,” said Alward.

The alarm will make a loud noise when it detects water above a certain level, and it could be the difference between saving and losing your home.

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