Record Rain Brings Historic Flooding to Flint
Flint recorded exactly 6.50 inches of precipitation in April 2026 according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This amount tied the maximum for April on record in the city.
The Gaylord National Weather Service office attributed the record rainfall to a stalled cold front that brought repeated rounds of rain from April 14 through April 15. Some areas reported nearly 3 inches during those rounds.
April 2026 will go down in the history books as the wettest on record at several sites in northern lower Michigan according to the Gaylord National Weather Service.
The combined rain and rapid snowmelt from above-average temperatures led to widespread flooding throughout the region. Several areas had to be evacuated due to the high water levels on rivers and lakes.
Roads and structures near lakes and rivers will continue to see high water levels with slow improvement expected into next week according to the National Weather Service office on May 5.
How Much Rain Fell Across Michigan
According to NOAA Online Weather Data here are the April precipitation totals for selected Michigan cities. Flint recorded 6.50 inches which matched the record maximum from 2026.
Other Michigan cities that broke records included:
- Kalkaska with 10.01 inches
- East Tawas with 7.64 inches
- Mio with 8.25 inches
- Three Rivers with 8.23 inches
- Houghton Lake with 8.08 inches
Dam Failures and Evacuations
The high water levels led to dams failing or near failure across northern Michigan. The Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex faced threats along with the Bellaire Dam and Mio Dam.
Cheboygan and Emmet counties remained under a flood warning as of May 5. Most flood warnings issued through April have expired but the northern Lower Peninsula continues to deal with the aftermath of historic flooding.