Overview:
-The rainfall forecast is within the Great Lakes Water Authority's design capacity, official says.
-GLWA advises residents in flood-prone areas to remove valuables from basements "out of an abundance of caution."
Metro Detroit is under a flood watch until 8 a.m. Thursday with 1.5 to 2 inches of rain expected from heavy showers and thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service.
The flood watch covers all of metro Detroit, Ann Arbor, Port Huron, Adrian and Monroe. The region faces an enhanced risk for severe weather Wednesday, with the risk of damaging winds, flooding, large hail and the possibility of “a tornado or two” being highest between 5 p.m. and midnight, the National Weather Service said.
The rainfall forecast is within the design capacity of the regional water system, Navid Mehram, chief operating officer for wastewater operating services at the Great Lakes Water Authority, said in a Tuesday statement.
“GLWA has successfully dewatered the regional conveyance system from last weekend’s rainstorms and reached dry conditions in preparation of the anticipated severe storm,” Mehram said.
Residents in low-lying, flood-prone areas should remain vigilant and remove valuable items from their basements “out of an abundance of caution,” the GLWA official said, adding that it is helpful if residents refrain from using washing machines and dishwashers in times of heavy rain.
MORE FLOOD COVERAGE FROM PLANET DETROIT
GLWA’s $138 million flood prevention project sparks outrage in Jefferson Chalmers
The project aims to make regional water infrastructure more resilient and help with flood prevention. However, residents are troubled by the city of Detroit and Great Lakes Water Authority’s slow outreach.
Detroiters face April 3 deadline to claim flood damages
Southwest Detroit residents impacted by February’s water main break must file claims by April 3 to secure compensation for uninsured damages.
Residents share flood lessons as Great Lakes Water Authority tackles crisis
The Great Lakes Water Authority and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are collaborating on a multi-year study to explore flood management in Southeast Michigan, inviting public input to shape their findings.
How this week’s forecast compares to disastrous 2021, 2023 floods
The rainfall forecast for Wednesday is less than the precipitation that caused catastrophic basement, road, and freeway flooding in June 2021 and August 2023.
The storm that occurred June 25-26, 2021, brought more than 6 inches of rain in 12 hours and failures at the east side GLWA pumping stations, impacting an estimated 30,000 households.
Detroit received $95 million in disaster recovery funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in response to the catastrophic flooding, $43 million of which is being used to pay for a private sewer line repair initiative, as BridgeDetroit reported last week. The city received an additional $346 million in similar funds late last year.
On Aug. 24, 2023, rainfall totals of 3 to 5 inches over a 6-hour period once again triggered widespread flooding in metro Detroit, according to the National Weather Service.