Emergency officials brace for floods when snow and warmth converge

By DANIELLE WOODWARD
Capital News Service
LANSING — State and local officials in Michigan are bracing for spring floods after record-breaking snowfalls in some areas. “Normally there would be around a 20 percent chance of Michigan communities reaching flood level this time of year, but the chances this year are as high as 90 percent especially in southwest Michigan,” said Mark Sekelsky, meteorologist at the National Weather Service Grand Rapids office. The risks are high: A 50 percent to 90 percent chance of flooding in statewide this year, according to the National Weather Service. “There has been a large snowfall and a greater snowpack than usual further into the year so the risk of flood is greater,” said Ron Leix, public information officer for the Michigan State Police. There has been roughly 2 to 6 inches of water in snowpack, an amount that we might reach every 25 to 30 years, Sekelsky said.