Area under flood warning

January 29, 2013

A few nights ago it was a winter weather advisory. Now the area is under a flood warning. The National Weather Service has issued the following:

Mason County
Flood Warning in effect until 9:30PM EST WED

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND RAPIDS HAS ISSUED A
FLOOD WARNING FOR RAIN AND MELTING SNOW IN

ALLEGAN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN

LAKE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN

MASON COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN

MUSKEGON COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN

NEWAYGO COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN

OCEANA COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN

OTTAWA COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN

VAN BUREN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN

UNTIL 930 PM EST WEDNESDAY
AT 930 PM EST

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LONG FEED OF RAIN AND MOISTURE FROM THE PLAINS STATES INTO WESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN. SOME EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT. A COMBINATION OF SNOW MELT IN THE LAKESHORE SNOW BELTS

RAINFALL FROM LAST NIGHT INTO TODAY AND ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TONIGHT HAS PROMPTED THE ISSUANCE OF A FLOOD WARNING. RAINFALL TOTALS HAVE ECLIPSED TWO INCHES AT MUSKEGON WITH ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF POSSIBLY AN INCH TONIGHT.
RUNOFF FROM RAIN AND SNOW MELT WILL CAUSE FLOODING TO OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE

ALLEGAN

BALDWIN

GRAND HAVEN

HOLLAND

LUDINGTON

MUSKEGON

NEWAYGO

PENTWATER

SAUGATUCK

SOUTH HAVEN

BANGOR

BEECHWOOD

BITELY

COOPERSVILLE

DECATUR

FENNVILLE

FREESOIL

FREMONT

HUDSONVILLE

IRONS

LUTHER

PAW PAW

PLAINWELL

SHELBY

WAYLAND

WHITE CLOUD

WHITEHALL

AETNA

AGNEW AND ALMENA. SOME OF THE SMALLER STREAMS AND RIVERS IN THE LAKESHORE COUNTIES AND AREAS THAT HAVE RECEIVED HEAVIER LAKE EFFECT SNOW THE PAST WEEK OR SO HAVE SEEN SUBSTANTIAL RISES. THE RISES ARE ATTRIBUTED TO A COMBINATION OF RAPID SNOWMELT MUCH OF WHICH HAS GONE INTO RUNOFF WITH THE GROUND STILL FROZEN AND HEAVY RAINFALL. TWO RIVERS THAT HAVE SEEN SUBSTANTIAL RISES ARE THE MACATAWA RIVER NEAR ZEELAND AND THE RABBIT RIVER AT HOPKINS. FLOODING OF CULVERTS

DITCHES AND FIELDS WILL BE COMMON. PONDING OF WATER OVER LOW SPOTS IN ROADWAYS IS ALSO A LIKELIHOOD. THOSE LIVING NEAR SMALLER RIVERS AND STREAMS SHOULD MONITOR WATER LEVELS AS RAPID RISES ARE POSSIBLE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL AND SNOW MELT WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS

COUNTRY ROADS

AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS. BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. DO NOT ENTER THE WATER. TURN AROUND AND MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

Mike Shaw

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