Croton Dam Flood Warning Sends Newaygo County Neighbors Scrambling
NEWAYGO, Mich. — The croton dam area is under close watch as a Flood Warning remains in effect for the Muskegon River south of Croton, and neighbors in Newaygo County are moving fast to protect homes and belongings. The National Weather Service says flooding conditions may be worse than the 2018 event, and the river is expected to crest from Friday to Saturday. Families near the croton dam floodplain are elevating furniture, clearing out rooms, and preparing to leave if water keeps rising.
Homes near the river are being cleared out
In the Newaygo area, water has already climbed high enough to flood access points and surround long-standing family properties. Hyla Kooiman said her family has owned one nearby home since 1940, and she described shoreline markers that now show how far the river has pushed beyond its normal edge. She and her brother, Merle Carpenter, have moved furniture higher inside the house as the water rose quickly.
Nearby, Jason Nurmi said he began clearing out his home on Tuesday and has removed closets, cots, furniture, chairs, and dining room sets. He said he moved his refrigerator and other household items as a precaution. Nurmi added that the water level was around 13 and a half feet when he checked, and he said once it reaches about 14 and a half feet, it would be at his foundation. He said the forecast points to 16 and a half feet, which he believes would put his home well into the flood zone.
croton dam residents brace for a repeat of past flooding
Neighbors near the croton dam say the pace of the rise is forcing them to act before conditions worsen. At a nearby boat launch, a sign that was visible in the water on Tuesday afternoon was much farther under by Wednesday afternoon, showing how quickly the river was changing. Nurmi said this would be the fourth time since 2017 that the area has faced an evacuation-style response, and he said the current situation appears more serious than what they experienced in 2018.
The National Weather Service warning adds urgency to those concerns. With the crest still expected Friday to Saturday, residents are watching the river hour by hour and making hard decisions about what to save and when to leave.
What residents say comes next
For now, the focus remains on preparation. Kooiman and Carpenter have elevated furniture, while Nurmi has emptied major parts of his home and is bracing for standing water. In this stretch near the croton dam, the next updates will likely depend on how quickly the Muskegon River rises and whether the forecast crest lands where officials expect. If the river reaches the higher levels now being projected, more homes in the croton dam floodplain could face damage before the weekend.
