What began as a catastrophic flood in Southwest Detroit, in the US state of Michigan, has morphed into an eerie frozen wasteland, leaving nearly 400 homes damaged and streets lined with ice-entombed cars.
The surreal sight—an entire neighborhood flash-frozen by Arctic temperatures—has drawn national attention, with social media erupting in disbelief at the rare phenomenon.
A 54-inch water main, originally installed in the 1930s, ruptured early Monday near 1020 Beard Street and North Green Street, sending a torrent of water through residential areas, people reported.
Floodwaters surged up to five feet in some locations, submerging vehicles and filling basements before the break was sealed. Then came the deep freeze. As temperatures plummeted to 1.4°F (-17°C), the standing water solidified, trapping entire city blocks under thick ice.
At a Tuesday press conference, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan detailed the disaster's scale. "We have shifted from the rescue phase to the service phase," Duggan said, confirming that 63 adults, 31 children, and 13 pets have been evacuated by rescuers.
According to Planet Detroit, of the 398 affected homes, 296 individuals remain in city-funded hotels, while 72 houses remain without power.
Firefighters deployed rubber rafts and even construction vehicles to reach the 90 residents stranded in waist-deep freezing water.
The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) and the Detroit Water and Sewer Department (DWSD) are spearheading repairs, estimating a six-week timeline for completion.
"It's way too early to determine the cause of the failure," DWSD Director Gary Brown acknowledged.
Meanwhile, social media has transformed the frozen ruins into a viral spectacle. A video captioned "Meanwhile in Detroit… first it flooded, then it froze!" has amassed over 10 million views, showing vehicles suspended in sheets of ice, sidewalks turned into skating rinks, and an apocalyptic silence over the deserted neighborhood.
One viewer summed up the collective shock: "Detroit unlocked a new weather combo we didn't know was possible." Another remarked, "I've lived in Northern Ohio for 8 years and never seen anything like this."
For many, however, the disaster is no laughing matter. A Detroit Edison worker coordinating emergency furnace repairs described the devastation in a Reddit post: "It's worse than it looks... and it looks pretty bad."
As inspections begin, crews are preparing to dewater basements, repair heating systems, and restore power. But for hundreds of families, the road to recovery remains uncertain.
As Detroit grapples with its frozen catastrophe, a powerful winter storm is sweeping east, placing at least nine states—from Georgia to Delaware—under snow and ice alerts.
The storm has already wreaked havoc across the Midwest and central US, burying Missouri under 11 inches of snow, Kansas under 8 inches, and Oklahoma under more than 2 inches. Freezing rain has turned roads into sheets of ice, creating treacherous driving conditions, ABC News reported.
By Wednesday night, the system is expected to intensify over the Mid-Atlantic, dumping up to 10 inches of snow on Virginia Beach and Norfolk while eastern North Carolina braces for perilous icy conditions. The storm's impact on air travel is already severe, with nearly 700 flights canceled and major disruptions reported at airports in Charlotte, Dallas, and Nashville.
Kentucky, still reeling from devastating floods that claimed 14 lives over the weekend, now faces fresh snowfall of up to seven inches. In some areas, road crews are struggling to clear streets, with officials unable to deploy equipment due to hazardous conditions, Governor Andy Beshear confirmed.
Further south, heavy rainfall has pounded New Orleans, while South Carolina and parts of North Carolina brace for a dangerous icy mix.
However, the storm's real menace lies in the Arctic air mass behind it, sending temperatures plunging to historic lows.
On Wednesday morning, Rapid City, South Dakota, recorded a bone-chilling -31 degrees Celsius (-24 degrees Fahrenheit), Billings, Montana, -26°C (-15°F), and Oklahoma City, -17°C (2°F).
The wind chill made conditions even more extreme: Minneapolis felt like -33°C (-27°F), while Dallas endured -21°C (-6°F).
Extreme cold warnings stretch from South Dakota to Texas, with frostbite risks soaring as wind chills nosedive 20 to 40 degrees below zero (-29°C to -40°C).
Even the Gulf Coast will not be spared. Dallas, Corpus Christi, Birmingham, and Baton Rouge are bracing for record-low temperatures on Thursday and Friday.
There is a silver lining—forecasters predict a weekend warm-up, with temperatures set to rebound into the 60s and 70s (15°C to 25°C) across the South next week.
But for now, millions remain locked in the storm's icy grip, battling snow, ice, and a punishing Arctic chill.
