Residents on the Great Lakes warned to prepare for flooding this spring
High water levels on all the Great Lakes mean there is a strong likelihood of flooding again this spring, the International Joint Commission and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers said separately on March 6.
During a two-hour webinar to discuss the high level of Lake Ontario and what is being done to lower it, Jane Corwin, U.S. Commissioner and co-chair of the International Joint Commission, the U.S.-Canada agency that oversees water issues, said flood levels will depend on what the weather is like during March and April. If we have a dry spring, flooding may be minimal, but another rainy, wet spring could spell disaster.
At the same time, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, said in a news release that while February was relatively dry across the Great Lakes Basin, Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie set new monthly records.
“After months of generally wet conditions, February was finally drier across most of the Great Lakes.” said John Allis, chief of the Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office, Detroit District. “However, levels remain above or near record highs for this time of year and we expect impacts to those along the coastline to increase as water levels now begin rising towards their seasonal peaks.”
