May 20, 1996
Afternoon and evening rains totaling 3 to 3.5 inches in the Grand Rapids metropolitan area caused extensive street flooding, basement flooding, and sewer overflows into the Grand River. At Kent County Airport the rain total was 3.39 inches for May 20, setting a new 24-hour record for that date, surpassing the previous record of 3.00 inches from 1911.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 5555351). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.
This event is one of many recorded floods in Kent County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.