HAMBURG TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The fourth highest flood since the 1950s left quite a mess for homeowners in Hamburg Township.
Growing concern is mostly about flooding happening more frequently and the stagnant water with nowhere to go.
Township officials have been working with the US Army Corp of Engineers, but now homeowners are getting involved. The community group formed last spring after another round of heavy rain.
When up to five inches fell last week a stretch of road in Hamburg Township was completely submerged. Flooding forced some families from their homes again. Now homeowners are banding together to find solutions.
“It’s not one person able to solve all these problems,” said Dr. Amber Bismack with the community group Residents Working Against Huron River Flooding.
Dr. Bismack has a PhD in science education.
“More development also means more runoff, means more flooding for us,” said Bismack.
For days Bismack and her family were living with loved ones waiting for their power to return.
“We’re trying to navigate between what’s going on at home, all the water, where we’re going to live, we have two small kids it was challenging,” said Bismack.
Flooding after heavy rainfall has become an ongoing issue in Hamburg and Green Oak townships.
The group is working with Anthropocene Alliance, a national nonprofit that educates and organizes individuals and communities harmed by environmental abuse and climate change. It is also working with Thriving Earth Exchange which is part of the American Geological Union.
“We partnered with two hydrologists, they are going to help us set up gauges to gather how much water is coming from and help us look at land use and changes in development over time because of that,” said Bismack.
The group of a dozen or so homeowners want to help township officials who have been trying to find a remedy for stagnant water for years.
“I would say it’s a group of community members trying to address flooding and pull together our different experiences and expertise to help us and the township,” said Bismack.
The group had dropped about 300 of flyers at neighboring homes. It is holding a meeting next Saturday, Aug. 28 beginning 10 a.m. at the Hamburg Senior Center. It is located at 10407 Merrill Road in Hamburg Township. The discussion will center around Ore Lake and Huron River flooding.
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