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HEAT WAVE, RAINS CAUSE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING IN
MICHIGAN'S UPPER PENINSULA

April 18, 2002 — A record-setting heat wave, coupled with heavy rains, caused significant flooding and evacuations in four communities across Michigan's western Upper Peninsula. In Gogebic County, Gov. John Engler declared a state of emergency on Wednesday. NOAA Weather Service forecasters in Marquette predicted thunderstorms and more rainfall Thursday would prolong the flooding. (Click image to get the latest river flooding information from NOAA's North Central River Forecast Center.)

"Scattered thunderstorms are expected to redevelop across Upper Michigan Thursday afternoon and evening with additional heavy rainfall being a possibility," said Edward Fenelon, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service forecast office in Marquette.

Fenelon added: "The heaviest rainfall should stay to the east of Gogebic County, the area hardest hit by the flood thus far. Any rain poses a dual problem for the area. It will aggravate the flooding going on now with our rivers and small streams and could also cause flash flooding problems since the ground is already saturated."

Acting at the request of Gogebic County Emergency Management, the Marquette National Weather Service staff issued a Civil Emergency Message on NOAA Weather Radio Thursday morning, advising residents of Wakefield, west of the high school, to evacuate. This comes on the heels of an earlier evacuation along the Montreal River in Ironwood.

Fenelon said a record seasonal snowfall of 200-300 inches across the western half of the Upper Peninsula left soils saturated. Following heavy rains late last week, record temperatures that peaked Tuesday at 83 degrees melted the last of that snowpack by Wednesday. The resulting runoff overwhelmed rivers and streams, leading to the flooding.

In Michigan, there was flooding on the Chocolay River, the east and middle branches of the Escanaba River, the Montreal River, the Paint River, the Peshekee, River, the Pine River and the Sturgeon River. Flooding closed numerous highways in the area, including M-553, which was closed when two large culverts were washed away leaving a 65-foot gap in the roadway. Flooding of the Little Black River shut down U.S. 2.

A 10-foot section of the Wood Bire-Presque Isle Wildlife Dam south of Marenisco was washed away Wednesday. Water was overtopping the dam on Sunday Lake near Wakefield and authorities were concerned about several other small dams in the area.

A flood warning was in effect on Thursday for Gogebic and Ontonagon counties, and a flood watch for the rest of western and central Upper Michigan.

The flooding extended into northeast Wisconsin including Ashland, Iron, Marinette and Sawyer counties. Wisconsin rivers in flood include: the Brule, East Fork of the Chippewa, Elk, Menominee, Montreal, Peshtigo, Pine, Snake, St. Croix, West Fork of the Chippewa and Wisconsin; and Butternut Creek.

NOAA Weather Service forecast offices in Green Bay and La Crosse issued flood warnings Thursday morning for the Mississippi River at Wabasha, Winona and La Crosse; and for the Brule, Menominee and Pine Rivers in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA's National Weather Service

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center

NOAA's Storm Watch

NOAA's Tornadoes Page

NOAA's Monthly Tornado Statistics

NOAA's River Forecast Centers

NOAA's River and Streamflow Conditions

Media Contact:
Patrick Slattery, NOAA's National Weather Service Central Region, (816) 891-8914

 

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