Flood — Gladwin, Michigan

2020-05-18 to 2020-05-22 · near Gladwin Fortier Arpt, Gladwin, Michigan

Event narrative

Widespread areal flooding developed on the 18th, and persisted for several days. Most creeks and rivers in Gladwin County rose out of their banks. Several hundred miles of roads across the county were closed at various times. The Tobacco River at Beaverton rose to a record crest of 14.32 feet on the morning of the 19th. Somewhat more than 100 residents were evacuated from their homes, including people living below the Chappel Dam on the Cedar River. The M-30 bridge across the Tobacco River where it enters Wixom Lake was destroyed.

Wider weather episode

A very slow moving low pressure system advanced east from the central Plains. Unusually deep moisture was pushed northward into the Great Lakes region, ahead of this low. Multiple rounds of heavy rain fell in parts of northern lower Michigan on the 17th and 18th. This heavy rain targeted east central and northeast lower Michigan in particular. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches were common by the morning of the 18th in places like Tawas City, Houghton Lake, Omer, and West Branch. Further heavy rain continued, and by the morning of the 19th rainfall amounts were 8.10 in Au Gres, 7.43 in East Tawas, 7.20 in Sterling, and 7.60 near National City. Generalized flooding was widespread and considerable in that part of lower Michigan. In some spots, flooding impacts lasted for days. Runoff from this very heavy rain resulted in the catastrophic failure of Edenville Dam on the Tittabawassee River.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (44.1554, -84.1806)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 897150. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.