The latest: Officials believe Grand River has crested, Red Cedar close

LANSING - Officials were taking steps to mitigate flooding and urging residents in flood-prone neighborhoods to leave their homes as the swollen Grand and Red Cedar rivers neared their highest levels on Thursday.

A temporary barrier was installed on Kalamazoo Street near U.S. 127 to protect part of the Urbandale neighborhood, and officials were buoyed by news that the Grand might crest slightly below its predicted level. 

But they were still asking residents in Urbandale and a host of other affected neighborhoods to temporarily seek shelter until the water recedes.

The most heavily-impacted areas include portions of the Urbandale, Sycamore Park, Knollwood Willow, Baker, Cherry Hill, Riverpoint, Tecumseh River and Ravenswood neighborhoods.

"We're still encouraging citizens in those areas to evacuate," said Lansing Mayor Andy Schor. "I am deeply heartened by how our community has rallied to support our neighbors."

The Grand River in Lansing was at 14.3 feet on Thursday afternoon – more than 3 feet above flood stage – and was expected to crest at 14.5 feet by Thursday evening, the National Weather Service said. That's the highest it's been since 1975, when it exceeded 15 feet.

But there were signs the river was reaching its apex late Thursday afternoon, meaning flooding might fall slightly short of the forecast level, meteorologist Jared Maples said.

The Red Cedar River at East Lansing was expected to crest at 10.3 feet on Thursday night, right in line with the forecast, Maples said.

The rivers are expected to fall below flood stage in a few days, the weather service said.

Lansing's temporary flood barrier, made of HESCO bastions, runs about 100 feet from "embankment to embankment" where Kalamazoo Street runs under U.S. 127, said Valerie Marchand, a Schor spokeswoman.

The bastions, typically filled with sand, earth or other materials, are commonly used for temporary flood control or as military fortifications. 

The city and Lansing Township remain under a state of emergency. The Grand, Red Cedar and Sycamore Creek were expected to crest on Thursday night, although water levels will remain high today, officials said.

With hundreds of homes expected to flood, local officials declare emergencies

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In Meridian Township, officials opened a “displacement center” at the Central Fire Station for residents who have or need to leave their homes because of flooding.

Officials said the center has restrooms, access to phones and phone charging area and staff will help assist people who need community resources.

“The displacement center is a place for residents to come, get their bearings and figure out what to do next,” said Interim Fire Chief Lori Schafer. The center is open until further notice, officials said in the release.

Several main roads, including Grand River Avenue from Park Lake Road to Marsh Road, and Okemos Road from Hamilton Road to Gaylord C. Smith Court, we're closed Thursday. 

Township officials issued a news release Thursday evening asking motorists not to drive through standing water, saying 15 drivers had been stranded during the day trying to push through the intersection of Okemos Road and Grand River Avenue.

The Capital Area Transportation Authority was detouring eight routes as of Thursday evening. 

Residents who need transportation to the Letts Community Center should contact CATA Paratransit at 394-2282 for a free ride, Robison said. The American Red Cross opened the center at noon Thursday for residents displaced because of flooding.

The Okemos School District was unable to transport about 30 students via bus at the end of the day Thursday due to flooded roads. The flooding may have impacted additional students who drive to and from school, Superintendent Alena Zachery-Ross said.

There were no plans to cancel Friday classes, but school officials will be understanding of late arrivals resulting from the flooding, she said.

“The water could rise overnight; it could impact other routes,” Zachery-Ross said.

The Lansing School District held classes and said on social media it was picking up and dropping off some students at community centers in areas where buses could not get to homes. Officials did not return a message left seeking comment Thursday afternoon.

In East Lansing, flooding outside of MSU was largely contained on Thursday to the Red Cedar neighborhood and Kalamazoo Street between Clippert Street and Marigold Avenue, according to Scott House, director of the public works.

House said first responders have been monitoring issues in several neighborhoods.

He said the Red Cedar River was at 10.24 feet late Thursday, with an expected crest of 10.3 feet.

“We’re nearing the max extent, but it’s a model so things could change,” House said.

At Michigan State, flooding was impacting a handful of buildings, including the Bikes Service Center and the W.J. Beal Botanical Garden. It's the worst flooding Frank Telewski, the garden's curator, has seen since arriving on campus in 1993.

"It's not unusual to get a flood in the garden," Telewski said. "Flooding this extensive is."

Grounds staff had some time to prepare, moving items stored in sheds to the refuge of higher shelves. One of the garden's two storage areas along the riverbank was under more than four feet of water Thursday afternoon. 

This weekend's Michigan VEX Robotics Championship has been moved from the East Lansing campus to Grandville High School due to flooding.

In Eaton Rapids, officials closed several bridges near downtown because of high water levels.

Follow along for updates:

Ken Palmer and Beth LeBlanc contributed to this report.

Contact Christopher Haxel at 517-377-1261 or chaxel@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisHaxel.