MUSKEGON, Mich. — Record high water levels on Lake Michigan are not only impacting those along the lakeshore, but for inland lakes and streams it's connected to.
The Thanksgiving holiday week brought two storms to West Michigan, both having strong enough wind to shove water into homes.
The howling east wind, connection to Lake Michigan and the Croton Dam means the flooding could happen several more times until we get a dry spell.
Residents on Edgewater Street say it's been frustrating to have little to no help from their flood insurance. Some have only received about 10% of the needed funds to cover the costs of their repairs.
Other residents ask non-residents to not travel the street during flooding or to take it slow. They say that driving fast through the water only sends more water into their homes.
FEMA hosted a public forum Tuesday night to give guidance to people dealing with the flooding.
“If you are planning on building a structure, go to a licensed building professional and talk to your community." says Ken Hinterlong, senior engineer with FEMA. "If you already have a structure and you are seeing damages, we would ask that you talk to your community about what kind of protections they would be able to permit, whether it is temporary or long-term. The state of Michigan will have some mandates in terms of permit requirements as well.”
One extended family has six properties on Muskegon Lake. They say don't know how viable it would be to stay and continue to pump money into their properties if the flooding continues and they can't get any assistance.
FEMA's website offers more assistance and information.
