Cheboygan County flooding victim: "I didn't think it would get this bad"
Flood conditions in Northern Lower Michigan have become increasingly dire in recent days, as heavy rainfall aggravates the winter snowmelt in the region.
State officials said water at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex along the Cheboygan River was just 6.6 inches below the top of the dam at 9 a.m. Wednesday, easing only slightly to 6.72 inches below the top of the dam by noon Wednesday.
State emergency officials and natural resources officers from the State of Michigan are assisting Cheboygan city and county officials on a response that includes placing additional water pumps and removing gates at the dam.
But it is not the only location where high water has disrupted lives.
Homes can be seen submerged by several feet along Burt Lake in Northern Michigan.
A levee breach in the Little Black River watershed resulted in evacuation orders for some low-lying areas.
"There's a house right past the marina, right down the road, that yesterday there were probably 10 cars in the driveway, and they were pulling up trailers, and they were getting ready to get ready for the worst, and I think that's what a lot of people are doing, kind of," said Indian River homeowner Kurt Kovtun.
Jillian Lors, who lives near the Indian River about 25 minutes away from Cheboygan, told CBS News Detroit that she found about three inches of water inside her home when she checked it on Sunday. She was gone for a couple of hours and returned to discover that the water had risen higher.
"I didn't think it would get this bad," Lors said.
She's now salvaging what she can from her belongings, as the home itself is damaged beyond repair.
There are emergency warming shelters in Cheboygan County for those who have been displaced, according to the state Emergency Management and Homeland Security agency. Those locations include senior centers and a fire station.
A flood warning remains in effect for Cheboygan County until late Sunday, the National Weather Service in Gaylord said. Between 2 and 6 inches of rain have fallen over the last several days, and additional rain is in the forecast.
