LOWELL, Mich. — People in multiple Kent County communities are continuing to keep a close eye on the Grand River.
After the river flooded, the rising water is expected to crest Saturday in Grand Rapids, Comstock Park and Lowell.
Some Lowell homeowners awoke Friday to find their properties submerged under several inches of floodwater.
“That water kept creeping up and up and up and closer and closer,” Brad Klosner gestured in the direction of his neighbors’ homes. “They kept sending me pictures all day.”
Which, understandably, rattled nerves.
“When I woke up, I was on lakefront property, so I was happy to have that,” Klosner laughed.
With no more lawn to mow, only water, which had risen half-way up Klosner’s foundation by midday Friday.
“If it goes up another foot, I’m going to start having problems,” he noted. “if it goes up beyond that, the house, the lower level anyway will be flooded.”
Drone footage captured Friday showed the Division Street encircled by floodwater. The rest of Klosner’s neighborhood hadn’t fared much better.
“There are houses that are impacted,” Michael Burns, Lowell's city manager explained. “Maybe 40-50.”
Lowell met us at the water’s edge on Division Street.
“This is not an uncommon flooding event here in Lowell,” he related. “We do get these every couple of years. This is definitely not the worst.”
Lowell flooding
The city’s worst ever flood, Burns said, had come in 2013. 2018 was another bad year, imparting lessons, he noted, city leaders then applied to tailor their response to future flood events.
“The biggest thing is obviously communicating to the public,” Burns said. “We've been using our Facebook page for that. It tends to be the quickest way to get to people.”
Beginning more than a day earlier, the City of Lowell Facebook page published a series of posts intended to provide locals who live in affected areas with guidance.
A Thursday post detailed the road closures in place until the floodwater recedes:
Burns said the city maintains a zero tolerance policy for drivers disobeying the signage in place.
“If we catch you driving through here, you're getting a ticket,” he said, warning locals not to use row boats or kayaks either, concerned the flooding may complicate rescue efforts.
The City’s wastewater treatment plant, Burns noted, had begun bypass pumping excess water to minimize impacts, though city leaders didn’t foresee any significant issues before the Grand River was expected crest midday Saturday.
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