Viewfinder: Rouge River Flowing Fast After Continuous Showers

Mother Nature dumped 2-4 inches of rain on Metro Detroit Wednesday afternoon and evening, flooding streets and basements throughout the area.

While Birmingham's assistant director of Jeff Bremer said there were few problems throughout Birmingham Wednesday, water levels in Quarton Lake and the Rouge River were higher than usual, resulting in fast-moving water, minor flooding and a hard-working dam in and parks.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, as of Thursday, the Rouge River was flowing at 348 cubic feet per second. The average is 29. The fastest flow time was in 1991 when the Rouge River was flowing at 426 cubic feet per second.

Water levels varied through the length of the river. A measuring stick near the bridge at Maple and Baldwin road showed the depth at 3.2 inches over average.

Bremer said there was no major flooding on any roads Wednesday, partly attributable to the city's clean catch basins. "It looks as if things are holding their own," Bremer said. "But I can't say what will happen if we get another inch and a half of rain."

Bremer said city received several phone calls regarding flooded basements. The number of calls, he said, was typical for the volume of rain. The reasons behind the flooding vary, Bremer said. "There's such a multitude of different homes," he said, including sump pumps that stop working, property drainage issues or foundation problems with the home.

If your basement has been flooded, HomeTipsPlus.com has these tips for cleaning up the mess:

• Try to catch the leak early to prevent any further flooding
• Shut off any fuses in the area, but make sure you're not standing in water when you deal with any electrical equpiment
• Remove water-damaged items to another room, whether they can be cleaned
• Use a sump pump or a push broom to remove the water or direct toward a floor drain
• Mop the floor to rid the room of water
• Run a fan, a dehumidifier, for at least a day to dry the floor and remove any moisture
• Scrub the floor with bleach to remove mildew and odors

Don't think about drying out yet. Following yesterday's 2-4 inches of  heavy downpours and sprinkles this morning, more showers and thunderstorms are forecast this afternoon. There is the potential that the showers and thunderstorms will bring more heavy rainfall to the area, the National Weather Service said. A flood warning remains in effect until 11:30 p.m. today.