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Michigan Flood Stories

546 first-hand accounts of flood events in Michigan, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.

Flood$3.0M damage

Oceana, MI · Apr 17, 2013

Record flooding occurred during the month of April and record crests occurred on the lower portions of the Grand River at Ionia, Lowell, Ada, Comstock Park, and Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Flood$3.0M damage

Osceola, MI · Apr 17, 2013

Record flooding occurred during the month of April and record crests occurred on the lower portions of the Grand River at Ionia, Lowell, Ada, Comstock Park, and Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Flood$3.0M damage

Van Buren, MI · Apr 17, 2013

Record flooding occurred during the month of April and record crests occurred on the lower portions of the Grand River at Ionia, Lowell, Ada, Comstock Park, and Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Flash Flood$20.0M damage

Wayne, MI · Sep 11, 2000

A warm and muggy airmass persisted over southeast Michigan. A complex of thunderstorms moved east across northern Michigan in the early morning hours.

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Flood$4.0M damage

Newaygo, MI · Apr 12, 2014

The combination of a very significant snowpack that gradually melted and milder temperatures and significant rainfall of one to three inches on April 12 resulted in flooding across portions of west central lower Michigan.

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Flood$18.0M damage

Gogebic, MI · Apr 14, 2002

The record setting snowfall in February and March set the stage for flooding in April. During February and March of 2002, north-central and western parts of Upper Michigan received over 100 inches of snowfall. The snow pack held over 11 inches of water.

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Lakeshore Flood

Benzie, MI · Apr 13, 2020

Strong low pressure passed just north of eastern upper Michigan on the morning of the 13th. Gusty west to northwest winds developed during the day, in the wake of the low. Gusts of 40 to 50 mph were common across northern Michigan, especially during the afternoon.

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Flood$14.0M damage

Marquette, MI · May 15, 2003

When the Mother's Day storm runoff from the Huron Mountains overwhelmed a dike holding back Silver Lake in northwest Marquette County, a wave of water inundated the Dead River basin all the way to Lake Superior in Marquette.

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Flood$3.0M damage

Osceola, MI · Apr 12, 2014

The combination of a very significant snowpack that gradually melted and milder temperatures and significant rainfall of one to three inches on April 12 resulted in flooding across portions of west central lower Michigan.

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Lakeshore Flood

Emmet, MI · Oct 23, 2020

Low pressure lifted across northern lower Michigan early in the morning of the 23rd. Very heavy rain fell just in advance of this low, late on the 22nd and early on the 23rd. 24 hour rainfall totals were 5.00 in Suttons Bay, 4.98 in Lake Ann, and 4.73 in Gaylord.

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Flood

Gladwin, MI · Apr 30, 2020

A slow-moving low pressure system crossed southern lower Michigan on the 30th. Ahead of this low, heavy rain fell across much of northern Michigan on the 29th into the 30th. Rainfall amounts exceeded two inches in some locations.

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Lakeshore Flood

Manistee, MI · Nov 1, 2020

Strong low pressure crossing northern Ontario would drag a cold front across northern Michigan early on the 1st. Gusty southwest winds ahead of the front became even gustier out of the northwest behind the front.

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Flood$344K damage

Gogebic, MI · Jun 15, 2018

An upper disturbance moving across a very moist and unstable air mass generated a cluster of thunderstorms which caused flooding around and north of Ironwood on the 15th. The storm complex also generated damaging wake low winds across portions of west and central Upper Michigan.

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Flash Flood$5.4M damage

Berrien, MI · May 9, 1996

Additional rain through the early morning hours of 2 to 4 inches resulted in some 24 hour totals between 8 and 9 inches as of 7am.Numerous rural roads were washed out, city streets and basements were flooded. Sawyer Road in Sawyer was covered with 2 feet of water.

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Flash Flood

Berrien, MI · Mar 31, 2023

Thunderstorms developing in the evening of March 31 resulted in multiple weather hazards. Hail nearly 2 inches in diameter was observed, trees were downed from thunderstorm wind, and flooding occurred from heavy rain rates.

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Flash Flood$34.0M damage

Ottawa, MI · Jun 19, 2009

Thunderstorms developed and moved across Lake Michigan during the evening hours on June 19th. Several hours of intense rainfall occurred starting around 7:00 PM EST. The ground was already saturated from early morning thunderstorms that produced very heavy rainfall.

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Flash Flood$4.0M damage

Isabella, MI · Aug 11, 2010

Flash flooding occurred in downtown Mt. Pleasant from the evening hours of August 11th into the early morning hours of August 12th due to approximately four inches of rain which fell in just two and a half to three hours time. A trained spotter one mile south of downtown Mt.

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Flash Flood$20K damage

Gogebic, MI · Jun 17, 2018

A very moist and unstable air mass in place and the presence of a nearly stationary frontal boundary produced several rounds of severe storms and flash flooding across portions of west and central Upper Michigan from the 16th into the 17th.

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Lakeshore Flood

Clarlevoix County, MI · Nov 15, 2020

Gusty winds increased on the 15th, as strong low pressure moved directly over northern Michigan before departing. Gusts of 50 to 55 mph were common along the Lake Michigan coastline. A peak gust of 59 mph was measured at Grand Traverse Light.

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Flash Flood$1.5M damage

Ottawa, MI · Jun 21, 2011

A warm front moved north across southern and central lower Michigan during the day of June 21st, allowing a much warmer and very humid airmass to advect into the area.

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Flood$3.0M damage

Kent, MI · May 21, 2004

The biggest and longest duration flooding event in the past ten to twenty years occurred across southwestern and south central lower Michigan from May 20th through the third of June.

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Flood$2.9M damage

Houghton, MI · Apr 28, 2013

Late season melting of significant snow pack caused minor to moderate flooding across west and north central Upper Michigan from the 28th into 30th. Gogebic County was hardest hit by the flooding where numerous primary and secondary roads were closed.

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Flash Flood$2.5M damage

St. Clair, MI · Jun 22, 1996

Severe thunderstorms developed along a warm front across central lower Michigan during the evening on the 21st. The storms moved southeast across the Saginaw Valley and the thumb region during the period from late evening on the 21st through the early morning hours of the 22d.

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Flood$250K damage

St. Clair, MI · Apr 10, 2013

A frontal boundary stalled over Michigan dropping 3 to 6 inches of rain. This resulted in the flooding of some rivers, streams and low-lying areas. Dozens of roads were closed across the following counties: Midland, Bay, Saginaw, Tuscola, Lapeer, and St. Clair.

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