A few nights ago it was a winter weather advisory. Now the area is under a flood warning. The National Weather Service has issued the following:
Mason County
Flood Warning in effect until 9:30PM EST WED
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND RAPIDS HAS ISSUED A
FLOOD WARNING FOR RAIN AND MELTING SNOW IN
ALLEGAN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
LAKE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN
MASON COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN
MUSKEGON COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN
NEWAYGO COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN
OCEANA COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN
OTTAWA COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
VAN BUREN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
UNTIL 930 PM EST WEDNESDAY
AT 930 PM EST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LONG FEED OF RAIN AND MOISTURE FROM THE PLAINS STATES INTO WESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN. SOME EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT. A COMBINATION OF SNOW MELT IN THE LAKESHORE SNOW BELTS
RAINFALL FROM LAST NIGHT INTO TODAY AND ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TONIGHT HAS PROMPTED THE ISSUANCE OF A FLOOD WARNING. RAINFALL TOTALS HAVE ECLIPSED TWO INCHES AT MUSKEGON WITH ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF POSSIBLY AN INCH TONIGHT.
RUNOFF FROM RAIN AND SNOW MELT WILL CAUSE FLOODING TO OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE
ALLEGAN
BALDWIN
GRAND HAVEN
HOLLAND
LUDINGTON
MUSKEGON
NEWAYGO
PENTWATER
SAUGATUCK
SOUTH HAVEN
BANGOR
BEECHWOOD
BITELY
COOPERSVILLE
DECATUR
FENNVILLE
FREESOIL
FREMONT
HUDSONVILLE
IRONS
LUTHER
PAW PAW
PLAINWELL
SHELBY
WAYLAND
WHITE CLOUD
WHITEHALL
AETNA
AGNEW AND ALMENA. SOME OF THE SMALLER STREAMS AND RIVERS IN THE LAKESHORE COUNTIES AND AREAS THAT HAVE RECEIVED HEAVIER LAKE EFFECT SNOW THE PAST WEEK OR SO HAVE SEEN SUBSTANTIAL RISES. THE RISES ARE ATTRIBUTED TO A COMBINATION OF RAPID SNOWMELT MUCH OF WHICH HAS GONE INTO RUNOFF WITH THE GROUND STILL FROZEN AND HEAVY RAINFALL. TWO RIVERS THAT HAVE SEEN SUBSTANTIAL RISES ARE THE MACATAWA RIVER NEAR ZEELAND AND THE RABBIT RIVER AT HOPKINS. FLOODING OF CULVERTS
DITCHES AND FIELDS WILL BE COMMON. PONDING OF WATER OVER LOW SPOTS IN ROADWAYS IS ALSO A LIKELIHOOD. THOSE LIVING NEAR SMALLER RIVERS AND STREAMS SHOULD MONITOR WATER LEVELS AS RAPID RISES ARE POSSIBLE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL AND SNOW MELT WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS
COUNTRY ROADS
AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS. BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. DO NOT ENTER THE WATER. TURN AROUND AND MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.