A Stellantis assembly plant in Detroit temporarily halted and then resumed operations over the weekend after heavy rain fell in the region Friday, causing major flooding.
Jefferson North Assembly Plant canceled its first shift on Saturday due to the extensive flooding in the area, with several expressways and roadways in Detroit covered in water. Water was removed from the plant and operations resumed with a 4:30 p.m. second shift Saturday, the automaker said.
A Stellantis shipping yard near the plant also was covered in water after Friday’s rain and several of the company’s vehicles stored there were swamped, according to images shared on social media over the weekend.
The exact makes and models nearly submerged in that yard were not confirmed by the automaker. Jefferson North Assembly Plant builds the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT and Dodge Durango.
“Water at the shipping yard has also been removed and operations have returned to normal,” Stellantis said in a statement provided by spokeswoman Jodi Tinson. “We are assessing the condition of vehicles in the yard. We are not providing any additional information.”
Jefferson North Assembly Plant did not have any production shifts scheduled for Sunday, per the statement.
Jefferson North Assembly Plant is near Grosse Pointe, Mich., an area that received an estimated 6.5 inches of rain by Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
The three million-square-foot plant employs 4,812 hourly and 241 salaried workers, according to Stellantis.
