The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1945-05-17
Flood
Continued from Page I

course to the Moravian bridge.
Ensigns Harry VandenBossche,
and AL. Watson and Commander
Charles Petch were in charge.
The phone number is 2682-for
emergencies only.
In one case. Coast Guardsmen
reported, Mr.. and Mrs. Stephen
Henderson and 10 children were
evacuated from Kibbee Flats by
boat.
Under chairman Albert Bell
man, the county Red Cross dis
aster committee went into ac-
ton Wednesday; provided cots
and cooking for rescue workers;
set up 60 beds for evacuees in
Grace parish house and Turner
Chapel, and made full use of the
Red Cross Canteen Service,
Motor Corps and Home Service
units,
City and county officials,
glumly observing the damage to
property and disruption of mu-
nicipal life caused by flood
waters, expressed hope that
pending appeals to the War De-
partment and Congress for flood
control action will be expedited
successfully by the current dis
aster.
EASEMENTS FILLED
AS Thursdays flood menace
heightened, police and CT y
agencies in Mount Clemens
were receiving calls of water
seeping into easements in lower
sections of the city's east side.
Water from the widening river
at noon had crept up Robertson
to Prospect street. A continued
rise will require many evacua-
tons tonight, officials said.
The flooded North River road
was blockaded to traffic at the
sugar factory section at noon,
and the South River road was
rapidly becoming impossible.
M-97 is largely under water
near Roseville.
An indication OF the rain
volume was contained in a read
ing of the Nine Mile drain meter
at Kelly road Wednesday after
noon. The drain was carrying
100000 gallons of st m
water an hour.
Most of the South and West
Macomb area is under water,
with many farm and garden
crops ruined.
SERIOUS THREAT
The southern portion Of Har-
rison Township, east of Mount
Clemens, faced its gravest men,
ace since the costly, 1893 and
1913 floods, Supervisor Floyd
Rosso said Thursday as he
stood by his telephone marshal
ing emergency aid and making
plans for possible nighttime
evacuation of hundreds by
boat.
BY Thursday noon m u c h
damage had been done to river
front structures, docks, boat
wells and other property, Rosso
revealed. II the water continues
to rise, he said, the 100000
damage of each of the two re-
cent floods in this area will be
surpassed.
With a normal elevation of
SIS feet above sea level, the
Clinton River by noon Thurs
day had risen IL feet to 586,
according to Mount Clemens
City Engineer Ernest L. Pettin-
gill. The highest point recorded
in recent years was 587 feet
above sea level in 1943 - and
Pettingill, expert flood observ-
or, grimly limited that this seven
years record might be shatter-
ed, with results approaching the
disaster stage.
MAY BREAK RECORDS
Official reports of the Army
Weather Station, S elfrid g c
Field, indicate that the current
flood may be a record-breaker.
The average rainfall in Ma
comb County during the last
seven years during May has
been 3.51 inches. Up to Thurs
day afternoon (17 days. this
months rainfall has been 4.61.
May 1945 bids to outdistance
any month in seven years II
rainfall continues and more
rain is forecast-weather ex-
perts pointed out. The highest
previous year was 1943. In
May of that year 7.67 inches of
rain fell. In 1912 the fall was
4.O2 and in 1914 1t was 4.l0 for
the entire month Of May.