As flood waters rise in northern Michigan, we will continue to update this post, with the latest news at the top.
Alerts
We have links to the official alerts local authorities are sending out. See our resource guide here.
Antrim County officials advise affected residents to be prepared to evacuate
(6 P.M., 4/14)
In a press release, Antrim County Emergency Management officials announced that water levels at Bellaire Dam have risen to within 12 inches of portions of the dam’s top.
This triggers the “Ready” stage protocol for the Intermediate River area downstream of the Bellaire Dam. A map is shown below.
According to the release:
All residents and businesses on the Intermediate River downstream of the Bellaire Dam are advised to pack for an evacuation. A "go-bag" should include medications and any important documents. Also recommended: securing outdoor items and moving valuables to higher levels.
If you choose to self-evacuate, please identify your home as empty by attaching something brightly colored to your front doorknob, e.g., a beach towel or a large scarf. An alternative would be using painter's tape to tape a large X on the door.
The three safety protocols are:
◦ Ready: When water is 12 inches below the top of the dam with levels rising 3 inches a day or more. Plan and/or pack in the event an evacuation becomes necessary.
◦ Set: When water reaches 6 inches below the top of the dam, with water levels rising at a rate of 3 inches per day or levels rising 3 inches per day and predicted to top the dam within 48 hours.
Prepare by packing and preparing your family, pets, and vehicle for potential departure.
◦ Go: When water levels are 1 inch below the top of the dam with a high probability of topping it, with the potential for failure occurring. Follow evacuation orders; roadblocks may be installed around the perimeters.
Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office issues Evacuation Notification
(4:45 p.m., 4/14)
On its Facebook page, the Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office has issued this Evacuation Notification:
The County Office of Emergency Management has issued a notice to evacuate low areas now due to a levee breach of the Little Black River Watershed, unrelated to current activities at Cheboygan Dam and Lock. Please leave your residence and travel south of the City of Cheboygan.
Affected Areas:
US-23 shoreline from approximately Pries Landing south to the Cheboygan River, down to Lincoln St., back along Court St., to Levering Rd., and Inverness Trail, up to the US-23 Shoreline. (See Map)
When you evacuate, please leave a towel or some type of fabric on the door handle visible from the road. If you are unable to evacuate, dial 9-1-1 for assistance.
First responders are currently assisting with evacuation efforts
Rain and runoff in cofferdam at FishPass construction site
(3:50 p.m., 4/14)
Construction on FishPass could be temporarily delayed, after rain and runoff flowed into the cofferdam that's typically dry. That's after a retaining wall along an alley above the construction site collapsed.
Sections of Lot K in downtown Traverse City south of State Street remain closed after the erosion of the wall.
Leah Bagdon McCallum, a spokesperson for FishPass, said no river water has entered the cofferdam, and several pumps are working to remove rain and runoff that has collected there.
She added that construction materials in the cofferdam that got wet, like rebar and dimensional lumber, will still be usable for the project.
—Ellie Katz
Sandbags are a "hot commodity" in Bellaire
(3:20 p.m., 4/14)
Fred Chacon lives on the Intermediate River in one of the first houses downstream of the Bellaire dam. Some friends came over this afternoon to help him line up sandbags between his house and the riverbank.
“These are a hot commodity right now, these sandbags," Chacon said. "I bought all the ones at the hardware store — there were 42 of them — but I may need to get more.”
Chacon has lived in Bellaire for 12 years and said he’s never seen the river levels this high and this close to his house.
Leslie Meyers, who is Antrim County's drain commissioner and operator of dams, agreed.
"It’s never been to this height," Meyers said. "Last year was the highest-recorded heights we had for the river system up here … we are seven-tenths of a foot over last year’s high."
Meyers is in the midst of an effort to raise more than six million dollars for dam repairs, including an overflow spillway. She said that if those updates were in place right now, Bellaire wouldn't be dealing with the current threat of severe flooding and potential dam failure.
Antrim County Undersheriff George Lasater said he and his colleagues have been warning residents about what to do if there is a dam failure.
“We went door to door ... and just made contact with everybody that was home and the ones that weren't home. We posted notices on the door, basically, like, 'Heads up… there's potential for problems,'” Lasater said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, crews were on the scene preparing to fill in the berm surrounding the dam with sand and working to repair one spot where water was seeping through the dam.
—Claire Keenan-Kurgan
Dead steelhead at the Little Manistee River
(3:00 P.M., 4/14)
Storm damage delayed Michigan’s efforts to stock steelhead for the season.
The Department of Natural Resources was set to start egg collection at the Little Manistee River Weir this morning.
But instead, staff spent the morning pulling at least 1,200 dead fish from holding pens after power knocked out the weir’s oxygen circulation.
“We've given some away, and we've collected as much data as we could off the fish, so we're trying to make lemonade as best we can there,” said Mark Tonello, a fisheries biologist with the DNR.
Still, he said the situation is their “worst nightmare,” he said.
Tonello said this will delay their plan to collect 4.6 million eggs. The team still plans to collect eggs from the remaining fish still alive tomorrow and into next week.
Allen Lemieux drove from Grand Rapids to see the annual egg collection and said it was sad to see all the dead fish.
“I've been fishing for over 50 years, and I've never been here to witness it, and I wanted to come over and see it,” Lemieux said. “I figure I don't have many more years, that I wanted to witness it. I'm shocked.”
The DNR said it’s not yet clear how this will affect the steelhead season long-term.
The Little Manistee River Weir is Michigan’s only source of steelhead. Eggs are sent to hatcheries in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.
—Vivian La
A scramble to save books in Kalkaska
(1:20 p.m., 4/14)
Downtown Kalkaska is reporting flooding, with multiple businesses finding water in their basements.
At the Kalkaska Public Library, staff had to remove books from shelves and away from walls as water entered the basement, which houses roughly 20,000 items, including children’s materials and archival collections.
“It’s no good to have all sorts of books in a damp basement that’s prone to flooding,” said library director John Roberts.
Roberts said repeated flooding is one reason the library needs a new building.
Next door, McLean’s Hardware also reported several inches of water in its basement.
Residents also tell IPR the bridge over North Branch Boardman River has been flooded.
—Maxwell Howard
It's been worse in Traverse City
(1 p.m., 4/14)
In Traverse City, Stewie Zacks was on the bridge on Wadsworth Street at the confluence of Kids Creek and the Boardman-Ottaway River, taking note of the high water.
“It’s exceeded the banks over there on the other side, and on this side,” she said. “It looks like it’s probably flooding the parking in that building across the river,” referring to the West End Lofts apartment complex.
Zacks has lived in the neighborhood more than 50 years and said she’s seen floods before.
“It’s not terribly unusual,” she said. “It doesn’t happen this bad very often. Every five, 10 years or something. It's a little bit scary, but this is what happens if [the river] gets a lot of rain and snowmelt.”
In Traverse City’s Kids Creek neighborhood, Cedar Street between Front and 6th streets was closed and covered with water.
—Ellie Katz
Road closure in Manistee
(1 p.m., 4/14)
The Manistee County Sheriff's Office says High Bridge Road is closed.
"High Bridge Road will be closed, from Chicago Avenue to River Road, indefinitely," said a statement. "A detour will be established and communicated to the public by Tuesday afternoon. Until then, please seek alternate routes of travel."
In Benzie County, Homestead Dam emergency plans activated
(12 p.m., 4/14)
Emergency plans have been activated at the Homestead Dam in Benzie County.
County authorities say heavy rainfall is impacting them just like the rest of the region, and that the state Department of Natural Resources is beginning reinforcement operations on the dam in Benzonia Township.
Water levels are high and expected to continue rising. Property owners and residents in areas along the Betsie River downstream from the Homestead Dam should take precautions to protect property and prepare.
The county says if the dam structure becomes compromised, a notice of evacuation will be issued. Find more emergency alerts from Benzie County here.
Avoid River Road in Blair Township, Grand Traverse County
(11:30 a.m., 4/14)
Drivers in Grand Traverse County are asked to avoid River Road between Garfield Road and Keystone Road.
Grand Traverse County authorities are evacuating homes along the Boardman River there. That’s in Blair Township.
Road flooding prevalent throughout northern Michigan
(11:30 a.m., 4/14)
Roads across the region were submerged in places.
Drivers are urged to use extreme caution and to never drive through standing water. Statistically, most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
In Cheboygan County, Sheriff Todd Ross urged people to avoid unnecessary travel.
Antrim County urges people to sign up for alerts
In a news release this morning, Antrim County encouraged residents to sign up for emergency alerts.
"At this point, the most important thing is to sign up for notifications. If an evacuation becomes necessary, an alert will be sent via the RAVE system, and sheriff’s personnel will go door-to-door to the homes below the Bellaire Dam on the Intermediate River," the release said.
The Bellaire dam, built in 1904, is holding back record-breaking levels of water.