Northeast Michigan experiences rain, flooding and broken records | News, Sports, Jobs

News photo by Steve Schulwitz This property near a home on Wall Avenue is seen Sunday after it was inundated by floodwaters. Heavy rain over the weekend caused flooding in the Alpena area.

ALPENA – The rain of the last four days has led to minor flooding and many basements are flooded with water.

Since Wednesday morning, Alpena has received 38 inches of rain, soaking the ground and raising water levels in surrounding lakes, rivers and streams.

This amount of rain already exceeds the amount Alpena historically receives in the entire month of June.

A rainfall record was set in Alpena on Saturday when 1.6 inches of rain was measured at the Alpena County Regional Airport.

The old record was 1.42 inches of rainfall, which fell in Alpena on June 22, 1990.

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for northeast Michigan on Friday evening, which expired on Sunday morning.

On Saturday alone, almost two inches of rain fell in Alpena.

By Sunday afternoon, water had already receded in some flooded areas, but standing water was still a common sight in and around the city.

Areas of minor flooding included the neighbourhoods behind the Thunder Bay Shopping Centre and properties near and around Golf Course Road, where flooding is not uncommon during heavy rain.

National Weather Service meteorologist Faith Fredrickson said hot and humid weather in Alpena earlier last week set the stage for heavy rains as cooler air moved into the area and formed snow beds along the low-pressure front.

“The high humidity up here has created optimal conditions for heavy rain,” she said.

The heavy rain and minor flooding could affect farmers, Fredrickson said, depending on the size of the farm, how far above the water table it is and what type of soil the fields are made of. Fredrickson said water accumulation and flooding could have different effects on a farm depending on many factors.

“Every case is really different,” she said. “One farm may have a lot of standing water that can kill or destroy crops, while the same amount of water on another farm may have no effect at all.”

This month, Alpena is already well above the long-term average rainfall for June. According to the National Weather Service, the average rainfall for June is two inches. Alpena has already received 5.47 inches of rain so far this month, and more precipitation is forecast for Tuesday and Saturday, when rain and possibly thunderstorms are possible.

Fredrickson said temperatures in the region are likely to be cooler through early July and that occasional rain is expected.

“Temperatures will fluctuate and there will be rain and storms every few days,” she said. “Most people in the Alpena area should no longer have flooding concerns, but more rain is coming and it doesn’t look like it will be that heavy for that long of a period of time.”

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.