Flash Flood — Ingham, Michigan

2011-07-27 to 2011-07-29 · near Oak Grove, Ingham, Michigan

Event narrative

Six to eight inches of rain fell across roughly the southwestern half of Ingham county from the late evening hours of July 27 through the early morning hours of July 29. This caused flash flooding and numerous road closures and washouts.

Water reached as high as street side mailboxes and to several homes on slabs in the Burchfield Drive neighborhood in Lansing, MI, where boat rescues were necessary. Many homes had 3 to 4 feet of water in their basements. At least five homes were destroyed in Lansing with several others uninhabitable according to the local fire department. Twenty additional homes suffered significant damage from water in Lansing and across Ingham County. One apartment building in Lansing was evacuated when sewage backed up into the building with the inflow of rain water. Nine people were rescued by boat. The Red Cross opened a shelter at a local high school in Lansing for evacuees.

Wider weather episode

Several rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms moved across southwest lower Michigan from July 27 to July 29, flooding roadways and intersections across areas near to mainly south of Interstate 96. The most significant impacts from flash flooding occurred in and near the Lansing area. Radar estimated that 6 to 10 inches of rain fell from July 27 to 29 near and southwest of Lansing.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (42.7639, -84.6029)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 324771. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.