KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Heavy rain is predicted for Wednesday, and city of Kalamazoo officials say that could mean flooding, if enough of it falls. It’s something that is happening more, not less.
The problem is global warming. Utilities director Jim Baker says Michigan is seeing more major rain events like the one that happened midway through June, temporarily flooding Crosstown Parkway.
He says Portage Creek and the Kalamazoo River just can’t handle the volume after a heavy downpour.
He says a big storm could suddenly add 15-to 20-billion gallons of water to the system and that water must go somewhere.
He says they have dredged the ponds, cleaned out and upgraded storm sewers, created new floodplains upstream and the EPA has even dredged the Kalamazoo River as part of its Superfund cleanup. It has not been enough when there are three or more inches of rainfall in a short time.
Baker says the solution is an underground tunnel that can serve as a storage tank to temporarily store excess water, but it would be pricey. Their initial estimates were it would cost $125-million, but that was before COVID.
He says until and if that money can be found, some parts of town will remain at risk of flooding.
The city of Portage is set to send their updated flood map to FEMA tomorrow. The city of Kalamazoo did it last week, which will identify those parts of town most vulnerable to flooding.
Baker says the city’s map is available online for anyone to see if they may be impacted.
Just Google Kalamazoo City GIS, and follow the prompts to Flood Plain.
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