Flooding in Kalamazoo has driven some to the streets-turned-rivers, on jet skis. The video below, which was posted soon after flooding conditions in the Michigan city peaked on Sunday, got over a million views.
The Kalamazoo River rose to a record 11.5 feet over the past few days, surprising residents. Speaking of an intersection between main roads Riverview and Michigan, resident Amber Slack said “They kind of tried to fix it a few years ago…It was better but this is a whole different beast. This is way, way more than I think we’ve ever could’ve anticipated happening around here.” Indeed, people in the surrounding Morrow Lake area were forced to evacuate their homes late last week.
The cold water began to swell on Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service. It reached 11.69 feet at 1:30 a.m. Sunday; the highest the river has been since it crested at 11.53 feet late Friday.
There was some concern that the city’s drinking water would be impacted by the flooding but the Kalamazoo Water Reclamation Plant is chugging along without incident so far. At a rate of 78 million gallons per day, the plant is treating almost three times its usual treatment volume. Much to the relief of many, testing of the drinking water supply in the flooded parts of the city passed standard health regulations.
Of course, the flooding will make it a tough commute this week, as flood conditions are expected to stay for a bit longer. But while you may not be able to make it to work in your car, you could go in a kayak!
If you’re a Kalamazoo resident, you can find more information about flood safety here and get the most recent flood updates here.