HAMBURG TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Major flooding along the lakes in Hamburg Township has first responders working constantly and has residents wondering when the water will recede.
Firefighters have been clearing downed trees to ease up blockages in the river. A few homes and several boats were damaged following the recent storm.
“This one came out of nowhere,” resident Spencer Goller said.
Read: Hamburg Township neighborhood hit with flooding
Five inches of rain fell in Hamburg Township the second week of August in 12 hours. It was the fourth-highest flood since 1956.
“We were flooded once before in 2004, that was the last time we had a flood to this extent,” Hamburg Township Supervisor Pat Hohl said.
Hohl said flood mitigation efforts have been underway for nearly two decades.
“It’s a bowl, it’s a drain and we wish we could pull the plug on it,” Hohl said.
Officials are especially concerned about a two-mile stretch between Oar Lake and Strawberry Lake. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers has worked with several neighboring townships to map out various water level increments. There are 35 lakes in Hamburg Township, seven are along the Huron River chain of lakes.
“Intuitively we’re not going to get a permit from the DNR to dredge the Huron River for two miles,” Hohl said.
Officials said there’s nowhere for all the stagnant water to go and it’ll likely take days before the water recedes.
Read: More flooding coverage