Lansing officials are urging residents of several neighborhoods to evacuate due to possible flooding.
Mayor Andy Schor declared a state of emergency tonight.
Officials said residents should leave their homes by noon Thursday and stay away until the water recedes. They said rivers will keep rising until Friday.
Whitney Spotts lives near the river in the downtown Cherry Hill neighborhood and has experienced flooding there before.
She said she and her husband are both musicians, and they are packing up this time.
"We are moving all of our musical equipment out," said Spotts. "My husband has gone to rent a U-Haul. And we are putting everything of crucial value in that."
"It's tough being in Lansing," said Spotts. "We've been looking for a place outside the floodplain that's never had water damage. And that's like a unicorn in Lansing."
According to Lansing's emergency management team, the largest impact and danger will be tomorrow and Friday -- and that's even if the rain has stopped.
Officials said the American Red Cross will be providing emergency shelter at Letts Community Center starting at noon on Thursday.
The neighborhoods include, but are not limited to:
- Urbandale – South of Michigan Ave./East of Fairview Ave./North of 496/West of 127
- Sycamore Park – East of Pennsylvania Ave./North of Mt. Hope St./South and West of the River (Northern part of neighborhood affected most)
- Knollwood Willow – East of North Grand River Ave./North of Willow St./South and West of the River
- Baker – South of the River/West of Pennsylvania Ave./East of Cedar/North of Baker
- Cherry Hill – South of Kalamazoo/North of 496/East of Cherry/West of the River
- Riverside – All areas along the River should be mindful of rising water
- Riverpoint – South, West and East of the River/North of Elm Street (residential area Northeast of ReoTown)
- Tecumseh River – South of Tecumseh River Dr./North of the River/East of Waverley Rd./West of Tecumseh Park
- Ravenswood Neighborhood – North of Boynton Dr./South of the River/West of Snowglen Ln.
This story has been updated.
