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000 

WGUS73 KMQT 152036

FFSMQT

MIC103-160130-



FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI

435 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 400 PM EDT...FLOODING CONTINUED ALONG PORTIONS OF THE DEAD    

RIVER IN MARQUETTE COUNTY. SOME 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 WAS LOW. 

THE MARQUETTE COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES CONTINUE TO REPORT THAT A 

MANDATORY EVACUATION IS IN PLACE FOR THE CITY OF MARQUETTE NORTH OF 

WRIGHT STREET...FROM THE WEST CITY LIMITS TO LAKE SUPERIOR. 



NUMEROUS BRIDGES AND CULVERTS ARE WASHED OUT DOWNSTREAM OF SILVER 

LAKE...AND WATER LEVELS REMAIN HIGH IN THE DEAD RIVER STORAGE BASIN. 

THE FOLLOWING ROADS ARE 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 FROM HAWLEY STREET 

NORTH...AND COUNTY ROAD 550 IS ALSO CLOSED. 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 THIS 

EVENING. 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 THIS EVENING. THIS WATER IS CAUSING 

FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS DOWNSTREAM INTO THE CITY OF MARQUETTE 

NORTH OF WRIGHT STREET. AS OF 400 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. DO NOT VENTURE NEAR THE RIVER 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 REPORTED TO BE FLOWING OVER THE BRIDGE WHICH CROSSES THE 

DEAD RIVER ON LAKE SHORE BOULEVARD AND THIS WATER EXTENDED SOUTH TO 

NEAR HAWLEY STREET. HIGH WATER WAS ALSO REPORTED ON SOME ROADS NEAR 

THE RIVER NORTH OF WRIGHT STREET. OPERATIONS AT SOME OF THE 

HYDROELECTRIC FACILITIES IN THE CITY OF MARQUETTE WERE 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...ALONG WITH SIGNIFICANT SOIL EROSION AT THE 

TOURIST PARK BEACH AND SURROUNDING AREA. THERE WERE REPORTS OF 

SPORADIC POWER OUTAGES IN THE CITY OF MARQUETTE...AND POWER IS OUT 

IN COMMUNITIES ALONG COUNTY ROAD 550 NORTH OF THE DEAD RIVER 

INCLUDING BIG BAY. ELECTRICITY ALONG WITH EMERGENCY AND NORMAL PHONE 

SERVICE ARE OUT IN POWELL TOWNSHIP. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR 

ADDITIONAL 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 700 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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