Flood risk remains through Wednesday in Metro Detroit

Charles E. Ramirez
The Detroit News

The threat of flooding remains through Wednesday for Metro Detroit and the Thumb region of Michigan, local weather forecasts indicate.

 

Rain in downtown Detroit

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for 17 counties, including Macomb, Oakland and Wayne. 

Rain is expected to keep things soggy through Wednesday, said Alex Manion, a meteorologist with the weather service in White Lake Township.

The forecast is calling for 1 to 3 inches of rain, which along with melting snow may cause flooding on roadways and low-lying areas, according to the weather service.

The weather service hydrologic outlook predicts the Clinton River could breach the 16-foot flood level in Clinton Township and Mount Clemens by Wednesday. 

The Rouge River in Detroit also could have minor flooding, possibly reaching 17.5 feet Wednesday, according to the outlook.

The rain forced road repair crews to put emergency work scheduled for Monday on hold.

Diane Cross, Michigan Department of Transportation spokeswoman, said repairing pavement and filling potholes must be done when it is dry. 

The persistent freeze-thaw pattern over the winter has left roads crumbling and in particularly poor condition, she said. 

“Unfortunately, there are more potholes than time and money,” she said. “We have to fill them in and move on. It’s like a triage situation.”

Meanwhile, temperatures will be mild. Manion said temperatures may set a record Tuesday, with highs in the mid-60s.

The record for highest daily temperature for Feb. 20 is 63, set in 2016. The highest temperature for February on record is 70 degrees, which the area hit twice: once in 1999 and again in 2017. 

Metro Detroit’s normal high temperature for February is about 35 degrees, according to the weather service. 

cramirez@detroitnews.com

Detroit News Staff Writers Mark Hicks and Lauren Abdel-Razzaq contributed to this report.

Extended forecast

Tuesday: Showers and a possible thunderstorm with high near 65 degrees and a low of about 45 degrees.

Wednesday: Showers before 1 p.m. and a high near 50 degrees and a low of about 28 degrees.

Thursday: Partly sunny with a high near 40 degrees and a low of about 30 degrees.

Friday: Mostly cloudy with snow showers possible before 10 a.m. and a chance of rain after 10 a.m. Temperatures will reach a high near 44 degrees and a low of about 35 degrees.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain and snow showers. Temperatures will reach a high near 46 and a low of about 35.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy with a high near 50 degrees. Showers are likely.

Source: National Weather Service