When major storms hit East Lansing, basements flood, streets become impassable and water backs up through a system that was not designed for today’s increasingly intense rainfall. Now, the city is moving forward with a plan aimed at identifying and addressing its biggest flooding problems.
East Lansing’s flooding problems are the result of a combination of factors, including the city’s natural landscape, aging infrastructure and extreme rainstorms that are becoming more and more common. The city’s Wet Weather Resiliency Plan that has been in the works for years intends to help officials identify which areas are most vulnerable and determine where investments could have the greatest impact.
The Wet Weather Resiliency Plan, which was shaped through interviews with residents, advanced modeling and more, will be presented to the City Council at a meeting in September. At Wednesday’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission meeting, Environmental Sustainability and Resiliency Manager Cliff Walls shared some of the highlights.
Natural features in East Lansing make the city vulnerable to flooding. The city’s soil has poor infiltration compared to other areas, with Walls saying Grand Rapids was built on top of a sand dune, while East Lansing was built on a hockey puck…