Some signs of progress on Hogarth Ave. in Flint – ABC 12 News

Posted: January 5, 2022 at 8:52 am

Some signs of progress on Hogarth Ave. in Flint

FLINT, Mich. (WJRT) - Progress on Hogarth.

It's been more than a month since a deadly home explosion rocked a west Flint neighborhood.

A section of Hogarth Avenue in Flint had been blocked off by barricades since the night of the explosion because of debris lying in the road way.

This is the closest that ABC12 News has been able to get to where that horrific explosion took place Nov.22.

ABC12 News is told that on Tuesday morning, a couple bulldozers came through and cleared the debris from the roadway

So now residents no longer have to drive around, they can actually drive through on the street

It's been a long six weeks for the very few residents who now live on Hogarth Avenue in Flint.

It was six weeks ago that a home on the street exploded, destroying two other homes with it.

The explosion could be heard and felt for miles yet on Tuesday night, it is still not known as to what caused that deadly blast.

The blast claimed the lives of 3-year-old Nuveah Lucas and 55-year-old Lisa Rochowiak and injured several others.

Dozens of families were displaced just before the Thanksgiving holiday only to find out weeks later that their homes were condemned because of the amount of structural damage as a result of the blast.

Michigan Security patrolled the area for 28 days 24/7 to prevent outsiders from coming in and looting.

More recently, Premier Security took over those services.

It was just Tuesday morning that the bulldozers began clearing debris from the middle of the road.

"I took a picture. I'm like wait what is that? It was pretty exciting to hear the noise and then seeing them do something about it," said Hogarth Ave resident, Marie Copeland.

It's important to remember here that while the majority of homes on this street have been condemned, several have not so people still do live here on Hogarth.

It's been a journey to say the least for Marie Copeland.

After what happened at her home Tuesday morning, she has every reason to be smiling.

Some signs of progress on Hogarth Ave. in Flint

"I'm excited about being able to move home sometime soon," said Copeland.

ABC12 News has talked with Copeland too many times to count this last month and a half.

If there's one thing learned about Marie, is that she doesn't give up.

Phone call after phone call, email, texts, appointments, she has fought her way to get her power back on, her water back on, and finally, her natural gas.

Consumers Energy just so happened to show up while interviewing Copeland.

Now that all the utilities are back on, the real work inside can begin.

Remember, the blast broke her front living room window.

"I've got one window. I had the glass put in. That was last week and then I just have a couple windows that need to be checked out-- looks like there's some cracking around them," she said.

Copeland's home was deemed structurally sound and safe by the City of Flint.

Her repairs are mainly cosmetic with lots of cracks in the walls and also a ceiling and roof repair in her son's bedroom.

Friends, family, people she hardly even knows have all offered to help get those repairs done so Copeland can move out of her mom's house where she's been staying and back in the place she calls home.

"I don't know if there's words to tell them how grateful I am and how much I appreciate their prayers, their concerns, I'm beyond grateful," she said.

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Some signs of progress on Hogarth Ave. in Flint - ABC 12 News

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