A flash flood warning remains in effect in parts of northern Michigan as melting snow and multiple rounds of heavy rain have driven rapid rises on rivers and streams, as reported by WPBN WGTU.
The National Weather Service and local forecasters warned of more rain late Tuesday night and into Wednesday with another round expected Saturday, and the NWS Probabilistic Precipitation Portal indicated up to 2.3 inches of rain by Saturday morning in some areas, according to AOL reporting.
WPBN WGTU described an active severe window mainly between 10 pm and 6 am with clusters of thunderstorms expected south of a Traverse City to Alpena line, and they cautioned that large hail, damaging winds, and possible tornado spin ups could occur in the evening hours.
Authorities issued a flood watch across the entire northern Michigan area through Wednesday due to combined snowmelt and heavy rainfall, and AOL reported that all of Michigan was under a flood watch on April 15 because of forecast rain and ongoing high river levels.
Flood warnings were in place for specific river basins, including a warning for the Cheboygan River basin upstream of the Cheboygan Dam covering Emmet and Cheboygan counties until 6:30 PM Sunday April 19, and local forecasts said rainfall and runoff could produce lowland flooding and rises on rivers and streams.
Impacts And Risks From Dam Releases And Failures
Officials warned of active dam issues and ordered preparedness measures as water levels rose. WPBN WGTU and AOL reported that releases from dams caused flash flood warnings on the Au Sable River near Mio and downstream areas, and the Manistee River downstream from Tippy Dam experienced elevated flows due to water releases.
AOL reported that small dams and levees have failed in some places, and Buck's Pond Dam in Alcona County failed with water flowing into Hubbard Lake, while a levee failure prompted evacuation notices near Black Lake northeast of the Cheboygan Dam.
Cheboygan County officials posted updates on Facebook indicating water behind the Cheboygan Dam was within inches of the top of the structure and urged residents to enter the ready stage to prepare for possible evacuation, as reported by AOL.
Additional flash flood warnings affected areas downstream of the Bellaire Dam in Antrim County, and NOAA's National Water Prediction Service listed several high-risk river locations including the AuSable, Manistee, and Muskegon rivers where water levels were elevated and small structures faced danger.
Forecasters said drier conditions could arrive late week before another widespread rain front on Saturday, which would bring colder air and the potential for snow showers by Sunday, according to WPBN WGTU.
