Flash Flooding and Flood in Michigan, June 20 to 23, 1997

A trained National Weather Service spotter at Croton Dam reported nickle-sized hail.

A Friday afternoon lightning strike sent Tom Williams, a 15 year-old male, to the hospital and sparked a fire that did minimal damage to his family's home on Stadium Drive in Oshtemo Township. The teen was in his basement playing his video game console when he was shocked during an electrical storm. He was treated and released from Borgess Medical Center later the same day.

A wet microburst just east of Charlotte in Eaton County totally destroyed a new home in Sandstone Estates which was under construction and pushed or moved several vehicles parked in the area. Eaton County police and fire department officials confirmed siting 2 funnel clouds with this storm, but neither funnel touched the ground.

Thunderstorm winds downed trees at the intersection of Spicerville Highway and Brookfield Road in Brookfield Township.

Ingham County Central Dispatch and reported several trees and power lines down in Lansing.

Slow-moving thunderstorms developed over Lake Michigan and moved east across Ottawa County throughout the day of Friday, June 20th. With the soil already saturated from 2 to 4 inches of rainfall from this training effect of thunderstorm activity during the day, a line of severe thunderstorms developed early Friday evening and moved across the county, depositing another 1-5 inches of rainfall within a 2 hour period, causing widespread flash flooding. Southern Ottawa County bore the brunt of the flash flooding,including the cities of Holland and Zeeland, Zeeland Township, Jamestown Township, Holland Township, Wright Township, and Chester Township. Notable rainfall totals for the 24 hour period ending at midnight included 5.47 inches in the city of Holland, 9.16 inches at Holland State Park, and an unofficial report of 13 inches of rainfall in Zeeland. Extensive damage was done to roads, bridges, and homes. Approximately 44 roads were flooded including parts of U.S. Highway 31. Of this number, 40 roads were deemed impassable due to washouts. During the peak of the flash flooding, many motorists were stranded for several hours until emergency personnel could free them. Shortly after midnight, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter rescued four occupants off the top of their overturned car stranded in deep water at 80th Avenue and Adams Street in Zeeland Township. The Coast Guard rescued a total of 12 people from stranded vehicles Friday evening. In addition to the road washouts, 6 bridges were damaged. Zeeland officials reported 15-20 percent of the city's streets were flooded during the peak of the storm. In addition, 2 sewage lift stations were disabled, causing sewage backups at many residences. Ottawa County officials reported approximately 150 homes and 11 businesses damaged. Most of the damage was from flooded basements. No injuries were reported Friday evening. However, 2 boys, aged 12 and 11, received minor injuries Saturday afternoon when their raft overturned in the swollen north branch of the Black River in Holland. On Monday, June 23rd, Ottawa County declared a local State of Emergency. On Friday, June 27th, Governor John Engler issued a state disaster declaration for Ottawa County as a result of the widespread flooding damage.

A trained National Weather Service spotter reported a wind gust to 61 mph (53 knots) with a severe thunderstorm. Wind damage consisted of several trees and power lines downed across Kentwood. Damage estimates were not available.

Severe thunderstorm winds downed power lines and transformers across the city of Holland. The highest measured wind gust with this line of storms was 42 mph, at 1 mile east of Holland State Park at 8:10 PM EDT. Marble-sized hail was also reported in Holland at 7:40 PM EDT.

Allegan County, which borders Ottawa County to the south, was impacted by the same slow-moving thunderstorms which trained across the area throughout the day of Friday, June 20th. The line of severe thunderstorms which moved across Allegan County Friday evening resulted in widespread flash flooding, with the worst of the flooding concentrated across the northern half of the county. The most significant damage occurred in the following Allegan County townships: Salem, Overisel, Hopkins, Wayland, Saugatuck, and Dorr. Notable rainfall totals for the 24 hours ending at midnight included 4.63 inches at Douglas, 5.40 inches at Allegan, 6.15 inches at Hamilton, and 7.20 inches at Wayland. Allegan County officials reported an extensive list of damage done to roads, drainage channels, homes, and businesses. Four people were injured, including a woman whose vehicle went nose-first into an 8-foot deep pit caused by a road washout. Extensive agricultural damage occurred in low-lying areas near flooded rivers and streams. Approximately 48 roads had near total or severe washouts (43 of which were closed for several days following the flooding). In addition, 126 roads had partial washouts. All totaled, 9 homes were destroyed, including 2 vacation cottages at Glenn Shores, 44 homes received major damage, and another 216 homes reported minor damage. Rain and draining groundwater caused a bluff along Lake Michigan at Glenn Shores, near Glenn, to collapse. The collapsing dune took several trees and 2 vacation cottages with it, 60 feet down onto the immediate lake shoreline. Eleven homes around Swan Lake in Cheshire Township were surrounded by water when the lake flooded. One business was destroyed, 7 reported major damage, and 30 received minor damage from flash flooding. The roof of the Regent Theater in the town of Allegan collapsed under the weight of rainwater. The 600-seat theater received major damage, but was not a total loss. The Otsego Lumber Company building also reported a roof collapse. Allegan County officials declared a local State of Emergency at 2:11 AM Saturday, June 21st, when they determined that local emergency recovery efforts were unable to handle the magnitude of the flooding situation. On Friday, June 27th, Governor John Engler issued a state disaster declaration for Allegan County.

A line of severe thunderstorms downed trees and power lines on the west side of the city of Allegan.

The Barry County Sheriff's Department reported 1 inch diameter hail in the city of Hastings.

Barry County Central Dispatch reported trees and power lines downed across the city of Hastings as a gust front associated with a line of severe thunderstorms moved through.

A trained National Weather Service spotter reported trees downed in the Dorr area of Allegan County.

Barry County Central Dispatch reported several large trees and power lines downed across the Middleville and Yankee Springs area of northwest Barry County. Many trees fell across roads, creating hazardous driving conditions for motorists. One Middleville home, at 3240 N. Yankee Springs Road (Highway M-37), sustained damage from 2 trees downed in the front yard. The downed trees damaged the resident's garage, front picture window, and roof.

A line of severe thunderstorms which moved across Barry County downed trees and power lines in the Gun Lake area. One Gun Lake home sustained minor damage. A Rutland Township man went out in the storm and became entangled in a downed power line in the 3800 block of Gun Lake Road, but escaped without injury.

A trained National Weather Service spotter reported numerous trees, utility poles, and power lines downed across the Hopkinsburg area.

The Wayland Police Department reported numerous trees and power lines downed across the area. Some people were trapped in vehicles under felled power lines.

During the height of the heavy rain event Friday evening, June 20th, water over-topped the City of Allegan's Imperial Carving Dam. Allegan city officials, concerned that the dam might fail, were forced to open 2 main flood gates to drain the rising water into Lake Allegan and down the Kalamazoo River. The dam did not fail, but as a result of the added flow into the Kalamazoo River, flooding resulted downstream. Most of the flooding affected already flooded rural agricultural areas over the weekend, but additional flood damage occurred downstream in Saugatuck. The river rose steadily over the weekend in the Lake Michigan resort village and flooding began late Sunday afternoon, June 22nd. Businesses along the river's edge reported flood damage on Monday, June 23rd. Approximately 11 businesses suffered damages, from the south end of Lake Street to the north end of Water Street, which was closed to traffic because of the flooding. The river crested late Monday afternoon, and flood waters receded on Tuesday morning, June 24th.

National Weather Service spotters reported trees and power lines downed in portions of the city of Kalamazoo. The peak wind gust reported by a trained spotter was 47 mph in Galesburg.

Van Buren County officials reported damage from flash flooding late Friday night and early Saturday morning, June 20th and 21st, respectively. The flooding caused 8 road washouts and 35 additional roads were impassable for a time due to water flowing across them. A 15-foot section of the Kal-Haven Trail (a bike and nature trail) was washed out, leaving a gulley 8-feet deep. Baer Park in downtown South Haven was also flooded. Unofficially, 5 to 7 inches of rain fell in the 5-hour time period ending 4:00 AM EDT in Lawrence.