000 WGUS63 KGRR 261541 FFAGRR MIZ058-271645- URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 1040 AM EST WED JAN 26 2005 ...A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE GRAND RIVER IN PORTLAND AND DANBY TOWNSHIPS... ICE JAMS ON THE GRAND RIVER HAVE CAUSED WATER LEVELS TO REMAIN HIGH IN THE PORTLAND AREA. THE ICE JAM HAS STABILIZED IN THE CITY OF PORTLAND AND CONTINUES TO GROW ON THE GRAND RIVER UPSTREAM OF THE CITY OF PORTLAND. FOR THE GRAND RIVER IN PORTLAND TOWNSHIP IN IONIA COUNTY: * A FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES. * AN ICE JAM IS CAUSING RIVER LEVELS TO REMAIN HIGH. * RIVER LEVELS REMAINED STEADY OVERNIGHT IN THE CITY OF PORTLAND. * THE ICE JAM HAS EXPANDED UPSTREAM INTO THE PORTLAND STATE GAME AREA. * RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS ALONG THE RIVER IN THE AREA OF THE ICE JAM SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE WEATHER AND RIVER LEVELS. * SHOULD THE ICE JAM BEGIN TO MOVE... RIVER LEVELS COULD FLUCTUATE BY SEVERAL FEET. IF YOU LIVE ANYWHERE ALONG THE GRAND RIVER WHERE THE ICE JAMS ARE OCCURRING... IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS NOW FOR POTENTIAL FLOODING... AS ICE JAMS CAN CAUSE QUICK SIGNIFICANT RISES IN RIVER LEVELS. LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE MONITORING THE SITUATION CLOSELY AND ADVISE PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE AREA TO MONITOR RIVER LEVELS. IF HIGH WATER LEVELS INCREASE ON YOUR PROPERTY... PLEASE CALL CENTRAL DISPATCH TO GIVE COUNTY OFFICIALS THE CURRENT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR AREA. A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT FLOODING IS POSSIBLE BUT NOT IMMINENT IN THE WATCH AREA. PEOPLE IN THE WATCH AREA IN SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR PRECIPITATION...RIVER AND STREAM CONDITIONS...AND BE ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF FLOODING. $$ WALTON  000 WGUS63 KIWX 261602 FFAIWX INZ004-005-MIZ077>079-281700- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 1045 AM EST WED JAN 26 2005 ...FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL NOON EST FRIDAY FOR THE ST. JOSEPH RIVER IN NORTHERN INDIANA AND SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN... THERE CONTINUES TO BE POTENTIAL FOR ICE JAM FORMATION ON THE ST. JOSEPH RIVER IN NORTHERN INDIANA AND SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. RUNOFF FROM RAIN AND SNOWMELT WHICH OCCURRED IN THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY CONTINUES TO CAUSE HIGH FLOWS ON THE RIVER. SNOWMELT ON TUESDAY CAUSED SOME MINOR RISES ON THE ST. JOSEPH RIVER THIS MORNING IN SOME AREAS. THAWING HAS ALSO WEAKENED ICE JAMS IN FAVORED AREAS OF THE ST. JOSEPH RIVER ALLOWING MORE WATER TO FLOW THROUGH. HOWEVER TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO FALL WELL BELOW FREEZING OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS. THIS WILL STRENGTHEN ICE JAMS ALREADY IN PLACE INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR ICE JAM FLOODING. ICE JAM DEVELOPMENT IS FAVORED IN AREAS WHERE RIVER FLOW IS SLOWED BY ISLANDS...BRIDGEWORK AND RIVER BENDS. THESE AREAS ALLOW ICE TO FORM ALONG WITH THE ABILITY TO TRAP LOOSE ICE FLOATING DOWNSTREAM. THIS PROCESS CAN LEAD TO ICE JAM DEVELOPMENT. A COLD SPELL EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS WILL CAUSE MORE ICE PRODUCTION AND STRENGTHEN EXISTING ICE JAMS. ICE JAMS CAN CAUSE FLOODING OF AREAS UPSTREAM OF THE JAM BY RESTRICTING RIVER FLOW. WHEN ICE JAMS BREAK UP SUDDEN RISES ON WATER LEVELS WITH POSSIBLE FLOODING CAN OCCUR DOWNSTREAM OF THE JAM AS THE WATER BEGINS FLOWING FREELY. IN ADDITION TO FLOODING... MOVING ICE CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO STRUCTURES NEAR THE RIVER AND IS A THREAT TO LIFE OF THOSE IN THAT AREA. INTERESTED PARTIES AND RESIDENTS LIVING NEAR THE ST. JOSEPH RIVER AND IT TRIBUTARIES SHOULD MONITOR RIVER LEVELS AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND WHEN RISING WATER IS OBSERVED. A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT FLOODING IS POSSIBLE BUT NOT IMMINENT IN THE WATCH AREA. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. $$  000 WGUS63 KGRR 261724 FFAGRR MIZ064-271815- URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 1223 PM EST WED JAN 26 2005 ... THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR THE KALAMAZOO RIVER IN ALLEGAN COUNTY... THE ICE JAM ON THE KALAMAZOO RIVER NEAR THE CITY OF ALLEGAN IN ALLEGAN COUNTY HAS STABILIZED BUT IS STILL CAUSING HIGH WATER LEVELS IN THE AREA. WATER LEVELS IN THE CITY OF ALLEGAN REMAINED STABLE OVERNIGHT. THE ICE JAM CONTINUES TO GROW UPSTREAM. FOR THE KALAMAZOO RIVER IN ALLEGAN TOWNSHIP IN ALLEGAN COUNTY: * THE ICE JAM CONTINUES TO GROW. * AN ICE JAM IS CAUSING HIGH RIVER LEVELS IN THE AREA. * RIVER LEVELS COULD FLUCTUATE BY SEVERAL FEET SHOULD THE ICE JAM BEGIN TO MOVE. * RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS ALONG THE RIVER ABOVE AND BELOW THE ALLEGAN CITY DAM SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR RIVER LEVELS. LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE MONITORING THE SITUATION CLOSELY AND ADVISING PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE AREA TO MONITOR RIVER LEVELS. LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE CONDUCTING A FLY OVER THIS AFTERNOON TO CHECK ON THE STATUS OF THE ICE JAM. IF YOU LIVE ANYWHERE ALONG THIS STRETCH OF RIVER IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS NOW FOR POTENTIAL FLOODING AS ICE JAMS CAN CAUSE QUICK SIGNIFICANT RISES IN RIVER LEVELS. SANDBAGS ARE AVAILABLE TO CITIZENS WHO ARE DEEMED IN IMMINENT NEED OF THEM AT THE ALLEGAN AIRPORT. SEVERAL THOUSAND BAGS HAVE BEEN FILLED AND ARE READY FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO PICK THEM UP. A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT FLOODING IS POSSIBLE BUT NOT IMMINENT IN THE WATCH AREA. PEOPLE IN THE WATCH AREA IN SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR PRECIPITATION...RIVER AND STREAM CONDITIONS...AND BE ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF FLOODING. $$ WALTON