A severe thunderstorm which moved in northern and mid-lower Michigan Thursday night worked its way south, dumping very heavy rainfall on the southern portion of the Great Lakes State. By early Friday morning, flooding following very heavy rainfall caused headaches for many motorists in the Detroit area as some major roadways were forced to be closed.
Both the north and southbound lanes of interstate 75 and interstate 696 were shut down for several hours Friday due to flooding. There was a power outage in the area which resulted in a water pump not working so the water on the roads could not be pumped off. MDOT arrived on the scene and cleared debris from drains so that the water would recede.
In Harrison Township, several homes and vehicles were underwater. In Grand Blanc Township, residents of an apartment complex were forced to evacuate after heavy rains flooded basements and first floor levels there. The Detroit area received 6.5 inches of rain overnight Thursday, causing all types of problems for home owners and motorists who were making the morning work commute. There were traffic delays reported all over the metro Detroit area as many surface streets and roadways were completely covered with water. The severe thunderstorm which struck also packed winds in excess of 60 miles per hour which toppled trees and knocked down power lines.
A driver of a semi truck had to climb out of his rig and stand on the cab when his truck, which was full of potatoes, got stuck in deep floodwater on interstate 75 north of Detroit near Flint. People passing by in a private boat plucked the man off the truck and took him to dry land. Flint’s fire department also had a boat out Friday morning to transport residents out of their flooded apartments and townhouses in one area of the city.
The National Weather Service had issued flood advisories, watches and warnings for numerous counties in Michigan’s lower peninsula following the severe thunderstorms that started Thursday. With over a half of a foot of rain which fell on the Flint area Thursday night into Friday morning, many neighborhoods were left without power. Local streets were flooded with waist deep, murky water, forcing the closure of many.
Many residents in Flint and the surrounding area reported that the weather was the worst they have ever seen. Many parts of the city were without power including City Hall. Numerous car alarms sounded early Friday morning throughout Flint as vehicles were becoming nearly totally submerged in rapidly rising floodwater. Some townhouse residents in Flint were forced to evacuate their homes quickly. Friday morning. Several people were seen scrambling from their flooded homes carrying garbage bags full of belongings.
