Heavy rains and flooding prompted Muskegon County officials Monday to declare a local state of emergency, as a number of Muskegon residents woke up Monday morning with flooded basements, and front yards, according to county officials. With pouring rain starting Sunday morning and continuing well into the evening, coupled with record water levels on Lake Michigan--and an already high-water table--officials say, even one day of heavy rain was enough to wreak havoc on the lakeshore.
Drew Nichols, maintenance superintendent of the Muskegon County Road Commission. He says, the rain caused enough damage that the county made the emergency declaration.
“The big problem is that we have so much water, it seems like the water level underground is rising so much that the water has no where to go and disperse,” Nichols said.
Some good news for the Lakeshore, as the National Weather Service predicts mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the 70’s for the remainder of the work week, so some relief for residents and businesses with significant flooding.
Roughly 3-4 inches of rain has fallen since Sunday, according to the National Weather Service, and a flood warning remains in effect for Muskegon and Oceana counties.
