MATTAWAN, Mich. -- Mattawan Creek is over its banks along Main Street in the village of Mattawan, thanks in part to heavy rain and snow melt over the past couple of days.
One resident we spoke to, however, says an altered landscape and inadequate drainage system is making the problem worse. "This used to be farmland, and all of the stores and restaurants and everything -- none of this was here before," said Lynn Coy, a long-time resident of Mattawan. "And once they put all of this in and made this retention pond, this is what happens when we get a lot of rain."
Coy estimates that around 2.5 inches of rain fell in Mattawan between Sunday night and Tuesday morning.
Further west into Van Buren county, several roads were closed or being threatened by rising streams and creeks. A washout on 67th street in Bangor Township closed a large section of that road. In the meantime, water was flowing over a small section of County Road 215.
In Kalamazoo County, Axtell Creek rose well over its banks due to heavy rainfall, causing more road closures. Crosstown Parkway was closed between Park Street and Stockbridge Street. Park Street was closed as well between Crosstown Parkway and Forest Street.
With heavy rainfall still in the forecast through early Wednesday morning, rising waters and road closures are likely to remain an issue in the days ahead.
