Almost all of Michigan under flood watch after storms, suspected tornadoes

Severe storms cause widespread outages, flooding and infrastructure damage statewide
Northern Michigan flooding raises dam concerns and prompts evacuations
More thunderstorms expected throughout the week, increasing risk of additional impacts

Severe thunderstorms that knocked out power for tens of thousands of Michiganders and flooded roads Tuesday night may continue through the week, raising concerns about additional outages and worsening conditions in already hard-hit communities.

Nearly the entire state is under a flood watch until Thursday afternoon or evening, with the exception of Iron and Gogebic counties in the far western Upper Peninsula, according to the National Weather Service.

Severe weather may continue in southeast Michigan through Wednesday evening, including large hail and isolated tornadoes. Storm motion up to 45 mph is expected, according to the NWS’s Detroit office. The region is under a hazardous weather outlook with a chance of thunderstorms again on Thursday.

In west Michigan, residents reported two tornadoes near Otsego and Carson City on Tuesday night, according to WZZM-TV. Crews are currently out in the field investigating the damage, but the NWS’s Grand Rapids office has not confirmed the storms as tornadoes.

There is a “slight risk” for another round of severe storms in west Michigan later Wednesday with rain continuing through the week and the potential for severe thunderstorms on Saturday.

“Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations,” according to the NWS. “Low-water crossings may be flooded.”

Power outages

As of noon Wednesday, more than 61,000 Michigan customers were without power, according to PowerOutage.com, which tracks data from utilities across the state.

Related:

More than 10,000 of those customers were in Allegan County. There were more than 8,000 customers affected in each of Washtenaw, Barry and Wayne counties.

DTE Energy said 18,238 of its customers were without power. Consumers Energy reported 333 separate outages affecting about 41,428 customers.

“Heavy rains and melting snow and ice have put tremendous pressure on Michigan’s dams this week, but we want people to be sure to understand our 13 facilities are operating safely,” Jean Kang, vice president of generation operations for Consumers Energy, said in a statement. “They are structurally sound and can withstand this week’s intense weather.”

The energy utility has 13 hydroelectric dams along the Kalamazoo, Manistee, Muskegon, Au Sable and Grand rivers.

“The high water flows coming from upstream are the main reason for flood warnings that are being issued downstream,” Kang said.

Storm damage

The impacts of Tuesday night’s storm were felt across Michigan.

In Ann Arbor, 70 mph wind gusts were reported at the University of Michigan Stadium. Yost Arena, where the school’s hockey games are played, was damaged.

The east wall of Veterans Memorial Park Ice Arena also collapsed, according to the Ann Arbor Fire Department, which reported “significant damage” across the city, but no injuries.

Southeast Michigan received about 2 inches of rain as severe thunderstorms swept through the region. No tornadoes have been confirmed in the region but several downed power lines and trees have been reported, including:

Downed tree limbs in the Pittsburg area of Shiawassee County, Dexter in Washtenaw County and Davisburg in Oakland County
Downed power lines in Ann Arbor, Inkster and Hillsdale County’s Moscow Township

A flooded street in Ann Arbor, Michigan. — ‘A severe storm has caused significant damage across the City of Ann Arbor,’ the local fire department reported Wednesday morning. (Courtesy of the Ann Arbor Fire Department)

As of Wednesday morning, several roads have also been closed due to flooding and downed wires, including:

I-96 between D-19 and Latson Road in Livingston County
East and Westbound I-94 at Jackson Ave in Washtenaw County
Southbound I-75 at Davidson

Wind gusts as fast as 80 mph were reported Tuesday night at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids and 69 mph at Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus, according to preliminary reports published by the National Weather Service.

Flooding in northern Michigan

The extreme weather in lower Michigan arrived as communities across northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula grappled with widespread flooding that threatened dams and wiped out other infrastructure.

The Water level behind the Cheboygan Dam dropped by Wednesday morning, ranging from nearly an inch to about eight inches below the top, as forecasted rain continued to pose a threat.

Officials warned residents downstream of the Bellaire Dam to evacuate as a precaution on Tuesday. Parts of Cheboygan were evacuated on Tuesday after a levee breach in the Little Black River watershed.

The Emmet County Sheriff’s Office alerted travelers Monday morning that flooding caused significant road damage on M-119 between Island View and Division Rd, part of the roughly 20-mile scenic route known as the Tunnel of Trees.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended the statewide activation of the State Emergency Operations Center on Tuesday as rising water levels continue to threaten dams and drive severe flooding. It was initially activated on Friday in response to rising water levels at the Cheboygan Dam and Lock Complex on the Cheboygan River.

The Michigan State Police said at least six other dams were at risk of failing, including the Upper Hiawatha and Hillman dams in Montmorency County, Homestead Dam in Benzie County, Union Street Dam in Grand Traverse County, and Rugg Pond Dam in Kalkaska County.

The dam threats have put the spotlight on Michigan’s aging infrastructure and ownership disputes in Cheboygan.

Regulators have deemed 100 Michigan dams in poor condition, and a report last year from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials estimated that state dams need at least $1 billion in updates.

Follow the Bridge Michigan flood watch tracker for the latest information.

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