New Storm Front Drives Flood Warning

More rain is on the way and that means floods are likely, according to an early morning statement from the National Weather Service. The flood warning applies to the following counties: Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, St. Clair, Washtenaw, Livingston and Lenawee, and remains in effect until 11:30 p.m. today.

 A line of thunderstorms moving through the metro Detroit area will diminish by 6 a.m. leaving an estimated quarter-inch of rain, according to the weather service. That, on top of that in some areas amounted to 4 inches of rain, will worsen flooded areas, according to the weather service.

A second line of thunderstorms is expected to hit the metro area in the afternoon. 

Lt. Mark Schultz said late Wednesday that, in his 20 years in the township, he'd never seen floods as bad as those Wednesday afternoon, "not even in 2006 when we had 20 inches of snow followed by 4 inches of rain."

Canton resident Kim Harraf said she hasn't either, writing on the Canton Patch Facebook page that she saw "about 6 inches of water in the middle of my parking lot and through our condo complex. I've never see anything like this... this is on Lilley just north of Cherry Hill."

Drivers should leave early for morning destinations and be prepared to find alternate routes if key intersections remain closed. 

"Do not underestimate the power of flood waters," the National Weather Service statement warned. "Only a few inches of rapidly flowing water can quickly carry away your vehicle."

Schultz said the good news is that drivers should be able to use Michigan Avenue and Warren Road without a problem. Early Thursday, as flood waters receded, intersections along Ford Road that had been closed were tentatively reopened to ease morning rush hour traffic. But Canton Center Road, south of Ford, remains flooded and closed, according to Canton Police, and a portion of Ford just east of Canton Center is also closed. Flooding may continue to be present in subdivisions and apartment complexes, police said.

Canton resident Michael Humm said while running errands Wednesday afternoon, he used the time in his Ford F150 to talk to his children about how to drive safely over a flooded road.

"Most people rush in," he said. "The trick is to approach it slowly and get a little wave going in front of your car. That drops the water level."