DETROIT – Several Southeastern Michigan counties are under a flood watch Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning due to heavy rain showers.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the following Metro Detroit counties starting late Monday afternoon: Lenawee, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne counties. Officials say that 1-2 inches of rain is expected to fall, though some areas could see around 3 inches.
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Showers should pick up around 3 p.m. in Metro Detroit on Monday, with the heavier showers and storms expected to pick up between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Rain could fall heavily and in quick bursts, creating a risk of flooding.
The NWS says the heavy rainfall will come in two phases: A round of heavy thunderstorms is expected to strike mid-evening. Then, a round of showers and thunderstorms will kick off after midnight and last through Tuesday morning.
Residents who live in areas prone to flooding are encouraged to prepare to take action should flooding occur between Monday and Tuesday.
The very southeast corner of Michigan is under a “marginal risk” for severe storms, which could produce lightning and damaging winds, while much of the rest of the Lower Peninsula should just experience “general thunder,” the NWS says.
Find the latest information from the NWS online here.
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Safety tips during a storm
- Stay at least 20 feet away from downed power lines and anything they are in contact with, including puddles of water and fences. Keep children and pets away too.
- Be extremely cautious near metal fences, which conduct electricity, following a severe storm. Electric current will be the strongest where a downed power line is touching a metal fence. Even a connecting fence several backyards away can be energized and dangerous.
- Never cross yellow barrier tape. It may be around downed power lines.
- Never drive across downed power lines. If a power line falls on your vehicle, remain inside your car until emergency help arrives.
- A live power line may spark and whip around as it looks for a ground. A ground is the earth or something touching the earth, like a fence or a tree. A live wire that has found its ground may lie silently, but it is still dangerous. Report a downed power line online, on the DTE Energy Mobile App or call us immediately at 800-477-4747.
- Cable or telephone lines can be energized if they come in contact with electrical lines. Contact with any energized power line can be fatal.
- Never use a portable generator inside a home or business. It emits carbon monoxide, which can be deadly. Keep it outside, away from windows and doors, so the fumes won’t come in.