Flood warning for north branch of Clinton River now moderately severe
Metro Detroit was hit with Friday flooding that's expected to continue through Sunday as rivers swell with melting snowpacks and above normal temperatures, while broken water transmission mains in Wayne County spilled water into residential and commercial areas.
The National Weather Service updated a flood warning from minor to moderately severe on Saturday morning for the north branch of the Clinton River near Mount Clemens and Macomb County.
Forecasts indicate the river will crest at 16.1 feet by Saturday evening, then fall below a flood stage of 15 feet by early Sunday afternoon. Some structures will be affected by the time the river reaches 16 feet, the weather service warned.
NWS also issued a flood warning through 11:15 a.m. Sunday, advising that Rouge River flooding would affect communities, parks and nearby homes in Wayne County, including Detroit, Southfield, Redford Township and parts of Dearborn Heights.
"We're expecting that river to crest through the early morning hours of tomorrow, and given the lack of any future significant rain, we're expecting the river stage to dwindle down through Saturday and Sunday," said Alex Manion, a meteorologist with the weather service in White Lake Township.
The weather service cautioned drivers not to drive past barricades or drive through flooded roadways.
"Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads," the weather service said in a statement. "Most flood deaths occur in vehicles."
Rouge River levels were measured at 17 feet, the weather said in an update just before 10 p.m. Friday. The flood stage is measured at 15 feet, the service added.
On Tuesday, river readings were around 8 feet, but "with the snow melt and the rain, it spiked up," Manion added.
Temperatures around this time of year top out around 32 degrees, but on Friday, readings for Metro Detroit reached around 41 degrees, Manion said. Saturday is expected to be dry with temperatures topping out near 40, which is nearly 10 degrees above average for the late January. Sunday was expecting snow showers with a high in the mid-upper 30s, Manion said.
Meanwhile, a water transmission main broke around 3:30 a.m. Friday on Baseline Road in Northville, the Great Lakes Water Authority reported.
Field service crews closed two valves on the 30-inch transmission main, which was between Novi Street and Oakland Avenue, the authority said in a news release.
Workers are draining the break site to evaluate the area for further repairs, according to GLWA.
Baseline Road was closed from Novi Street through to train tracks east of Oakland Avenue while GLWA crews continued repairs, the authority told The Detroit News.
The issue caused flooding in some homes, WXYZ-TV (Ch. 7) reported.
The break comes as persistent rain continues to fall on Metro Detroit, which has seen 1.26 inches of total liquid precipitation, including snowfall, according to NWS.
The liquid precipitation, combined with the snowpack on roads from the past week contributed to the increased river stages throughout Metro Detroit, Manion said.
The weather service also issued flood warnings earlier on Friday morning for Ecorse Creek at Dearborn Heights. Ecorse Creek caused some bank overflow with moderate flooding on Friday morning, according to the weather service.