Lansing is one of several cities throughout the state dealing with flooding.
Mayor Andy Schor declared a state of emergency Wednesday. Several streets are still blocked off, making it tougher to navigate sections of the city.
John Estill lives right along the Grand River. Flood water covers his entire backyard and has made its way to his basement.
“We’ve got sandbags around the outside of the house, but it’s still seeping in, and we’re trying to keep ahead of it with pumps,” Estill said.
Estill says the drywall in his basement took the most damage.
“We’re going to have to replace a lot of the drywall in our basement, the carpet down there is gone, and some of the woodwork down there might be gone too,” he said.
Once the state of emergency was announced, residents living in heavily flooded areas were urged to evacuate their homes. Jeff Wilcox was one such resident.
“But I chose not to evacuate. I’ve been through it before and didn’t find a reason to want to leave,” Wilcox said.
Wilcox says he lived in the same house during the infamous 1975 flood. His home is about 200 yards away from the Red Cedar River, and there's water coming all the way up to his front lawn.
The water has already crested, but several neighborhoods are still expected be flooded for the next few days.
