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000 

WGUS73 KMQT 151806

FFSMQT

MIC103-160130-



FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI

206 PM EDT THU MAY 15 2003



...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 930 PM EDT FOR MARQUETTE 

COUNTY...ALONG THE DEAD RIVER FROM SILVER LAKE THROUGH MARQUETTE TO 

LAKE SUPERIOR...



AT 200 PM EDT...FLOODING CONTINUED ALONG PORTIONS OF THE DEAD    

RIVER IN MARQUETTE COUNTY. WATER CONTINUES TO FLOW OUT OF SILVER 

LAKE INTO THE DEAD RIVER...BUT POWER COMPANY OFFICIALS INDICATED 

THAT THE AMOUNT OF NEW WATER BEING RELEASED HAS DECREASED 

SIGNIFICANTLY. THE MARQUETTE COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES CONTINUE TO 

REPORT THAT A MANDATORY EVACUATION IS UNDERWAY FOR THE CITY OF 

MARQUETTE NORTH OF WRIGHT STREET...FROM THE WEST CITY LIMITS TO LAKE 

SUPERIOR. MARQUETTE COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE ALSO REQUESTING PEOPLE 

AVOID ALL AREAS NEAR THE DEAD RIVER...INCLUDING ALL PROPERTY AND 

CAMPS. SPECIFICALLY...RESIDENTS SHOULD AVOID USING ALL CITY STREETS 

NORTH OF WRIGHT STREET.



NUMEROUS BRIDGES AND CULVERTS ARE REPORTED WASHED OUT DOWNSTREAM     

OF SILVER LAKE...AND WATER LEVELS REMAIN HIGH IN THE DEAD RIVER 

STORAGE BASIN. THE FOLLOWING ROADS HAVE BEEN CLOSED...COUNTY ROAD 

AAT KNOWN AS MULLIGAN ROAD...COUNTY ROAD AAO AT THE DEAD RIVER 

BRIDGE...FORESTVILLE ROAD...COUNTY ROAD HD...COUNTY ROAD 510 AT THE 

STEEL BRIDGE...WRIGHT STREET FROM COMMERCE TO ONTARIO STREET...AND 

ROADS NORTH OF WRIGHT STREET. LAKE SHORE BOULEVARD IS CLOSED NORTH 

OF HAWLEY...AND COUNTY ROAD 550 IS CLOSED AT THE INTERSECTION OF 

HAWLEY AND SUGARLOAF ROADS. THE BOAT LAUNCH ON FORESTVILLE ROAD WAS 

UNDER SEVERAL FEET OF WATER. PEOPLE LIVING ALONG THE DEAD RIVER 

BASIN BETWEEN SILVER LAKE AND FORESTVILLE ROAD HAVE BEEN EVACUATED.



EXCESSIVE WATER WILL CONTINUE TO FLOW THROUGH THE HOIST DAM TODAY. 

THE HOIST DAM IS LOCATED ON THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE DEAD RIVER 

STORAGE BASIN. THE DAM IS STABLE...BUT A LARGE VOLUME OF WATER WILL 

CONTINUE TO PASS THROUGH IT TODAY. THIS WATER WILL PASS THROUGH THE 

MCCLURE RELEASE...AND CAUSE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS DOWNSTREAM 

INTO THE CITY OF MARQUETTE NORTH OF WRIGHT STREET TODAY. AS OF 200 

PM EDT...FLOODING WAS REPORTED IN THE CITY OF MARQUETTE ALONG THE 

BANKS OF THE DEAD RIVER...AND PORTIONS OF THE RIVER WERE VERY 

TURBULENT AND FLOWING AT AN EXTREME RATE. DEBRIS IN THE RIVER 

CHANNEL WAS RESULTING IN FLUCTUATIONS IN THE RIVER LEVEL...WHICH 

POSES AN ADDED DANGER SINCE WATER LEVELS MAY FALL AND QUICKLY RISE 

AGAIN WITHIN AS LITTLE AS 15 MINUTES. WATER WAS ENCROACHING UP 

GRANITE STREET AS OF 200 PM EDT. OPERATIONS AT SOME OF THE 

HYDROELECTRIC FACILITIES IN THE CITY OF MARQUETTE WERE REPORTED TO 

BE SUSPENDED DUE TO FLOODING. SPECIFICALLY...THE HYDROELECTRIC 

FACILITY LOCATED NEAR TOURIST PARK IN MARQUETTE WAS EXPERIENCING 

FLOODING AND SOME STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS REPORTED. TREES WERE ALSO 

REPORTED DOWN IN THE TOURIST PARK AREA...AND THERE IS THE POTENTIAL 

FOR POWER OUTAGES DUE TO DOWNED POWER LINES.



THE EVACUATION AREA NORTH OF WRIGHT STREET IN THE CITY OF MARQUETTE 

INCLUDES 1742 RESIDENTS...AN AREA THAT ENCOMPASSES 485 ACRES... AND 

A MIX OF RESIDENTIAL AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTIES INCLUDING 806 

BUILDINGS.



FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED BY 400 PM EDT OR SOONER.



IF ADDITIONAL EVACUATIONS BECOME NECESSARY...FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS 

PROVIDED BY YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY OFFICIALS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE 

ACROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS. STAY TUNED TO LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR THE 

LATEST INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS DANGEROUS FLOODING SITUATION.



$$



TRH



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