Flash flood warning issued downstream from Tippy Dam, flooding continues on Manistee River

High flows released through Tippy Dam forced a flash flood warning Sunday night for the Manistee River below the dam, where flooding was already being observed and the warning area covered about 7,993 people, four schools and one hospital.

At 9:26 p.m. EDT, the National Weather Service in Gaylord said the warning would stay in effect until 9:15 a.m. Monday, April 13. The danger zone began just downstream from Tippy Dam in southern Manistee County, and the nearest downstream point named in the warning was High Bridge Campground, about 3.5 miles from the dam.

Officials urged anyone in low-lying areas below the dam to move to higher ground immediately and not to drive through flooded roadways. If you are leaving Grand Traverse County to paddle, fish or travel south along the Manistee River corridor, plans should change until the water drops and the river is no longer carrying dangerous high flows.

A flood watch remained in effect for the rest of the area through Wednesday, April 15, keeping the broader region under continued concern even after the warning period ends. Tippy Dam, completed in 1918, has long been part of reservoir management on the Manistee River, but the immediate issue now is the high water being pushed downstream.

The current threat also fits a recent pattern. On June 4, 2024, the Gaylord weather office issued a flash flood warning for Manistee County after 2 to 3 inches of rain fell, and flooding followed quickly there. For anyone headed toward southern Manistee County, that history is a reminder that this river can rise fast and stay hazardous longer than expected.