Roads still closed following 25-year storm event in Ann Arbor; hot and sunny days ahead
A truck from the City of Ann Arbor drives through water over Geddes near Huron Parkway and Fuller in Ann Arbor Wednesday. Water flowed over the road and down to the Huron River.
Angela Cesere | AnnArbor.com
(Update: City officials announced that Plymouth Road is open again as of early Friday afternoon. See the story here.)
Though drier conditions are on tap for today and the weekend, several roads remain closed as a result of a storm system that dumped 3.91 inches on the Ann Arbor area over the past 48 hours.
The two-day total qualifies as a 25-year storm event, said University of Michigan weather observer Dennis Kahlbaum, meaning a storm of this magnitude is expected about once every 25 years.
For the week, the area has received 4.58 inches of rain. The total for the spring, defined as the months of March, April and May, now stands at 17.09 inches. It’s the wettest spring on record in Ann Arbor, eclipsing the previous record of 16.61 set in 1943, Kahlbaum said.
Road closings include:
- Plymouth Road in Ann Arbor between Barton Drive and Broadway Street, where rains washed out an embankment under railroad tracks, spilling mud and debris across all lanes of the road.
- Sutton Road between Pontiac Trail and Northfield Church Road in Northfield Township.
- Earhart Road between North Territorial Road and Five Mile Road in Northfield Township.
- Six Mile Road between Main Street and Nollar Road in Northfield Township, where water has washed out the road.
- Lima Center Road between Hieber Road and Bethel Church Road in Freedom Township.
- Liberty Road west of Zeeb Road in Scio Township.
- Goodband Road between North Lake and Bartell roads in Lyndon Township.
Spencer Road in Northfield Township, and Chubb Road in Salem Township were closed Thursday, but have been reopened.
Rain-weary Washtenaw County residents can look forward to improving conditions today and a nice weekend.
Today will be mostly cloudy with a chance of light showers through 4 p.m. and a high near 60. There’s also a 30 percent chance of showers tonight.
Saturday, it will still be mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms, but it will be warmer with highs in the low 70s.
Sunday, we finally get to the good stuff with partly to mostly sunny skies and highs in the mid-80s. There is a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Monday will be mostly sunny with highs approaching 90. Tuesday will also bring sun and a projected high of 91.
For updated conditions and forecasts throughout the day, check Annarborcom’s weather page.
Comments
Ann English
Sat, May 28, 2011 : 11:13 p.m.
Mosquitoes lay eggs in standing water, not flowing water. Perhaps the caption above was to make us feel better about that water flooding Geddes Road; it didn't come from the Huron and just sit there, but left the road and flowed down to the Huron, so mosquitoes wouldn't be drawn to it.
grye
Fri, May 27, 2011 : 4:28 p.m.
If I remember correctly, we had just about as bad a storm last year just after the the 1st of June. My basement remembers since we had water coming through the egress window that time too.
Ann English
Sat, May 28, 2011 : 11:19 p.m.
What stands out to me regarding this past storm is that no flooding of basements in homes north of Packard just west of Carpenter is being reported. No flooding of basements of homes on Chaucer, off Scio Church Road. But I did notice that Champagne Street is closed to through traffic; apparently backyards are still being flooded along that street's own dead-end side streets, if not the streets themselves. But I know of no reporting on it, either via radio or annarbor.com.
Bertha Venation
Fri, May 27, 2011 : 3:40 p.m.
Hope it dries up enough to cut grass and pull weeds. Ah yes, the rites of Summer! ;)
Matt Whale
Fri, May 27, 2011 : 3:38 p.m.
Short sleeves, long sleeves, windbreaker, winter coat, nice weather, bad weather... this is a strange spring.
Nate Jessee
Fri, May 27, 2011 : 3:18 p.m.
I also want to comment about the 25 year storm event. Not only is a 25 year storm expected to happen once every 25 years, but also has a 4% chance of happening every year.
golfer
Fri, May 27, 2011 : 2:30 p.m.
yup you are right so will the mosquito's come out. time to get lots of bug spray with all this water they will be out in soon.
DBH
Fri, May 27, 2011 : 2:52 p.m.
They are already out (he writes while scratching the mosquito bite on his right hand)!
EightySeven
Fri, May 27, 2011 : 2:29 p.m.
I guess I know we have had a pretty rainy Spring, but a 25 year storm seems a bit long. Better double check your headline.
Tony Dearing
Fri, May 27, 2011 : 2:39 p.m.
Thanks. We've clarified that.