Floods can occur anytime during the year in Michigan. Major floods in large watersheds, like the Grand River and Saginaw River, usually occur in the spring. These floods are often associated with saturated ground caused by melting of the winter snowpack. Some of the most severe floods in large watersheds have been caused by relatively minor rainfall that accompanied melting snow and/or ice jams. These floods usually rise slowly and last for many days. Smaller watersheds are more prone to flooding caused by short, intense rainfall that is typically associated with thunderstorms during the spring and summer. Several inches of rain in a short period of time can quickly cause streams in small watersheds to rapidly rise. These floods are usually of short duration. More flood information can be found in the following links.
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