Stellantis is going through bad days in Michigan as a Jeep and Dodge assembly plant was flooded, leaving cars permanently damaged.
Detroit experienced one of the wettest Junes since 1892, courtesy of the incessant rains over the weekend. With rain still in the forecast, the Michigan State Police and emergency workers have found themselves in a very tight situation. Several inches of heavy rainfall has brought the entire traffic to a standstill as almost every freeway in the city is submerged.
The internet went crazy over photos and videos of cars and SUVs stranded on the roads and people abandoning their vehicles, looking for shelter. With waters reaching up to the roofs in some cases, the state has dispatched a team of trained experts to look out for people trapped in their vehicles. Areas where the flooded water has receded are littered with stray vehicles. According to the authorities, some 50-odd drivers have been rescued by first responders and dive team, and 350 vehicles have been found damaged.
Along with major portions of the city, a Stellantis shipping yard also found itself underwater due to the unending rains, totaling 2.37 inches on Saturday alone. Situated near the Stellantis Jefferson North Assembly Plant, the shipping yard was streamed with what seemed to be in-production Jeep vehicles. The flooded facility was primarily a storage area where vehicles of all kinds were housed temporarily before they were shipped to Jeep dealers across the country. Several photos taken by Jeep owners and bystanders showed the pathetic conditions of the cars parked in the yard. With water reaching up to the windshields, Jeep is afraid that the vehicles might be damaged beyond recovery.
WATCH: @wxyzdetroit viewer sent us this footage of nearly submerged cars at the @Stellantis Jefferson North Assembly Plant @wxyzdetroit @HallyVogelWXYZ @JennaWils #MIWX #MIFlooding #MetroDetroit pic.twitter.com/58MuzZEs5p
— Jenn Schanz (@JennSchanzWXYZ) June 26, 2021
The deep waters flooding the area made it difficult for the company to specify the exact make and model of the cars submerged. The company has refused to comment on whether any other storage site was affected. However, the company did a commendable job in draining the water from the yard and resuming operations to normal shortly.
Twenty-five vehicles were affected due to the flood, and they are currently undergoing damage inspection. Based on the assessments, Jeep will probably scrape off the flooded models if damages are too severe. The company’s spokesperson has attested several Jeep and Dodge models, including the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango, Dodge Charger, and Challenger could be among the vehicles stored in the flooded dock.
The 3-million square-foot Michigan facility was recently modernized and reequipped to build the new Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango. The flooding might prove a terrible setback for the company, though it is not the only one to suffer this fate. In addition to Jeep, Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant was also forced to close down for the same reason.
