GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — It is part of the winter experience for homeowners along parts of the Grand River in Grand Haven. Along with cold temperatures, ice, and snow comes the common threat of ice jams on the river.
The water level on the river was still rising as of daybreak Tuesday, and had reached a level of 13.65 feet at 8:00 A.M. A revised forecast from the National Weather Service indicated that the river stage may reach above 14 feet by Tuesday evening. That level will likely cause several homes in the Van Lopik subdivision to be surrounded by water.
Folks are already seeing some water slowly seeping onto their front lawns in one Grand Haven-area neighborhood. At least one vehicle has water up to its rims.
Many people have already taken some precautions and parked their vehicles down a side road to avoid any river water.
The Grand River is nowhere near the level that homeowners experienced during the 2005 ice jam, when water was a full five feet higher than it is now. Floods of a level similar to this one are a fairly common occurrence, happening at least once every couple of years according to recent records.
Updated river level observations and forecasts are available on the National Weather Service’s hydrology page.
