Midland — The Tittabawassee River reached its historic high early Wednesday morning, said the National Weather Service — and, according to projections, could go four feet higher …
Midland — The Tittabawassee River reached its historic high early Wednesday morning, said the National Weather Service — and, according to projections, could go four feet higher by day’s end.
More: Whitmer: Midland could be under 9 feet of water during historic flooding
At about 5:30 a.m., the river reached 33.97 feet, said Trent Frey, a National Weather Service meteorologist. By 8:15 a.m., it was at 34.64 feet.
The river is considered in flood stage at 24 feet, and major flood stage at 28 feet, and had been as low as 14 feet mid-day Sunday.
This means the river is about 20 feet higher than it was just three days ago.
Dozens of residents descended on downtown Midland on Wednesday morning to gape at flooded streets along the Tittabawassee River.
The river-front Midland Area Farmers Market and several streets were underwater.
Residents snapped photos as the tops of street lights and stop signs peaked out from the water’s surface.
“You don’t see that every day,” said Don Weitzel of Midland. “I never saw it rain so much.”
Weitzel’s home wasn’t affected by the widespread flooding but he had a restless 24 hours.
“It got my friend’s home. I thought it was going to get me,” he said.
According to National Weather Service projections, made about 6:45 a.m. Wednesday, the river could crest at 38 feet.
The river’s previous high was 33.89 feet on Sept.13,1986, according to weather service statistics dating back to 1936.
The flooding in Midland owes not just to the several inches of rain in the area in recent days, but to rains north of the area that drain to the south, Frey explained.
«Thankfully, we’re expecting a dry pattern» in Midland through at least Friday, he said.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared a state of emergency in Midland, warning, in a Tuesday night briefing, that its downtown area could go «under nine feet of water.
