UTICA, Mich. (WXYZ) — Officials are on high alert and keeping a close eye on the Clinton River Thursday as high water levels continue to cause flooding in parts of Utica.
Since the Clinton River is at such a high level, officials from different cities are advising residents to stay off the river.
Watch Tiarra Braddock's video report below:
7 News Detroit reporter Tiarra Braddock asked Brandon Lewis, the director of Macomb County Emergency Management, what makes the river so dangerous right now.
"As the water gets higher, the river starts to move a little bit more from its usual path and its path becomes more unpredictable. It becomes faster, it starts going over areas where the water usually isn’t and you don’t know what’s in that water or what direction it’s going to take," Lewis said.
Utica Police Chief Matthew Kaluzny warns that under the murky water lies hazards like sewage, electrical issues and missing manhole covers.
Behind a senior apartment building right next to the Clinton River, the flooding looks like a small lake. Residents have not been able to get in or out of their garages.
"There’s water all in the garage and it’s up when we come down to the first floor to the stairwell," Rita Fletcher said.
Previous coverage: Rising Clinton River water levels prompt cities to issue warnings, close parks
Fletcher lives at the senior apartment complex on Greely Street in Utica. She is used to flooding happening in the area since she lives so close to the river.
"I don’t pay no attention to it now," Fletcher said.
I also spoke with Timothy Wright, who was helping out at his parents' home on Davis Street, which was a river on Wednesday. Wright even kayaked through the water.
"Yesterday, this was just a total extension of the river. You could tell what was the river — you couldn’t tell what was the street. I was actually kayaking… all the way from there right into the garage, right up to the stairs," Wright said.
At Heritage Park, there has been improvement since the flooding began but still, portions of the park remain under water.
Those who visit or live in the area are hoping to see more relief soon.
Watch Demetrios Sanders' video report below:
“Twice a week sometimes, I walk the dog, go down by the river,” Thomas said. “I get afraid to get swept away down there sometimes because that river flows so hard. So I keep him (dog) away from the water. I don’t take the grandkids down there when it’s raining.”
Seeing this type of flooding isn’t a surprise to Thomas.
“You can count on it anytime it rains, any time it rains heavy,” he said.
But for those like James Guarino and his son, it made them take another peek.
“My reaction was kind of like uh OK, I need stop back by and look at it, see what it looks like,” Guarino said.
Lewis expects the water level to tick up a little on Thursday due to the rain, and over the next day or two, it should go back down.
"It’s still going to look a little high to residents, but it’s going to start to return to below that action stage to what we consider a more normal level," Lewis said.
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