COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. — Days after severe thunderstorms swept over Michigan, areas along the Grand River remain underwater as the storm only exacerbated the river's flooding as it crested on Saturday.
"The closest I ever came to this, I was living just off the Michigan State campus on the Red Cedar River," Comstock Park resident Jim Winslow said. "And in 1985, it was almost up to our windows and we were in wait as we were in a lower apartment. So, we already had water coming up in our bathtub in our toilet."
Winslow has lived along the river in a neighborhood on Comstock Park's Abrigador Trail since December.
As the river crested to around 16 feet on Saturday, he described how he's seen neighbors band together to wait out the seasonal flooding.
"We keep in close contact," Winslow said. "There's someone who manages the [neighborhood Facebook] site and puts out bulletins as to what's a good time to move your cars to higher ground."
Winslow had to take a canoe to speak with 13 ON YOUR SIDE at the new edge of the river. Because 13 ON YOUR SIDE was unable to get to his home, he shared photos of the current flooding around his home. Like many in the area, his home is elevated in case the water rises.
Although flooding is routine in the area, he said residents still believe living along the river is worth it.
"I know it's been sort of on that uptrend recently, like, I don't know, every two or three years there's a flood similar to this," Winslow said. "But on the average, it's usually like five to 10 years before we see something maybe of this magnitude. I mean, I've met people that have been down here 20, 30 years. I mean, if you see the view and just being able to live on the river, it's worth it even going through something like this."
According to the National Weather Service, it's expected that the river in that area will return to near-normal levels by about Friday evening.
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