Grand Rapids area 2013 flood

[CAT345C]

Grand River Affects Lake Michigan
Normal Flow: 5000cfs = 37,400 Gal/Sec
Current Flow: 34000cfs = 253,338 Gal/Sec
Amount of Gallons needed to fill Lake Michigan 1 inch: 390 billion.

- Under normal conditions, how long would it take to raise Lake Michigan (not including L. Huron) one inch?
37,400 GAL/SEC x 60 = 2,244,000 GAL/MIN
2,244,000 GAL/MIN x 60 = 134,640,000 GAL/HR
134,640,000 GAL/HR x 24 = 3,231,360,000 GAL/DAY
390,000,000,000 GAL / 3,231,360,000 GAL/DAY = 121 DAYS

- Under current conditions, how long would it take to raise Lake Michigan one inch?
34000 / 5000 = 6.8
121 DAYS / 6.8 = 18 Days

.

Too much Math, just show me a picture of a train

[SD80MAC]

Grand River Affects Lake Michigan
Normal Flow: 5000cfs = 37,400 Gal/Sec
Current Flow: 34000cfs = 253,338 Gal/Sec
Amount of Gallons needed to fill Lake Michigan 1 inch: 390 billion.

- Under normal conditions, how long would it take to raise Lake Michigan (not including L. Huron) one inch?
37,400 GAL/SEC x 60 = 2,244,000 GAL/MIN
2,244,000 GAL/MIN x 60 = 134,640,000 GAL/HR
134,640,000 GAL/HR x 24 = 3,231,360,000 GAL/DAY
390,000,000,000 GAL / 3,231,360,000 GAL/DAY = 121 DAYS

- Under current conditions, how long would it take to raise Lake Michigan one inch?
34000 / 5000 = 6.8
121 DAYS / 6.8 = 18 Days

.

Too much Math, just show me a picture of a train

Getting to higher ground by conrail6809, on Flickr

[SD80MAC]

For reference, this was as high as I'd ever seen the Grand get, previously.


Now that's a high river! by conrail6809, on Flickr

I guess I should change the title of that shot

[J T]

Grand River Affects Lake Michigan
Normal Flow: 5000cfs = 37,400 Gal/Sec
Current Flow: 34000cfs = 253,338 Gal/Sec
Amount of Gallons needed to fill Lake Michigan 1 inch: 390 billion.

- Under normal conditions, how long would it take to raise Lake Michigan (not including L. Huron) one inch?
37,400 GAL/SEC x 60 = 2,244,000 GAL/MIN
2,244,000 GAL/MIN x 60 = 134,640,000 GAL/HR
134,640,000 GAL/HR x 24 = 3,231,360,000 GAL/DAY
390,000,000,000 GAL / 3,231,360,000 GAL/DAY = 121 DAYS

- Under current conditions, how long would it take to raise Lake Michigan one inch?
34000 / 5000 = 6.8
121 DAYS / 6.8 = 18 Days

.

Too much Math, just show me a picture of a train

[J T]

Some more shots from 4/20:

Wilson Ave. in Grandville:



Judd Street with a little flood control going on:



No caption necessary:



Flooding from sewer backflow on Chicago Dr. near the business loop overpass:



A view from the eastbound I-196 overpass:



Westbound I-196 on-ramp at Chicago Drive:



Chicago Drive:



I detect a little irony in this scene:

[AARR]

No caption necessary:

Those covered hoppers are parked on the bridge, right?

[SD80MAC]

No Don, they're floating in the air.

[AARR]

No Don, they're floating in the air.

Vs a moving train across the bridge smart ass. Ive read railroads will park train cars on a bridge during bad weather (but Im not sure why).

[SD80MAC]

Read the rest of the thread Don.

[pudgy]

Adds extra weight to stabilize the bridge with the water pushing against it. Normally just the pilings are getting forced, but now the entire structure is acting like a sail in the water. Train cars add weight to make the bridge less likely to be pushed out/off alignment. Especially since this used to be a swing structure. They did the same thing in Newaygo in 1985 or 86. I've seen pictures, I wasn't born yet...

[Saturnalia]

The Grand River's rate of ascent is slowing greatly, right at the 35000 mark now. It's at 21.81 feet.

[Jochs]

For reference, this was as high as I'd ever seen the Grand get, previously.


Now that's a high river! by conrail6809, on Flickr

I guess I should change the title of that shot

Yesterday, I was in Grand Rapids, and the river was the highest I'd ever seen it.
Ironically, yesterday was National Pot Day

[Saturnalia]

Grand River Crest has passed Ada. Ada has dropped 1 inch since noon, Grand Rapids up one inch. River should not rise very much from where it is now, maybe another inch or two.

[J T]

Yesterday, I was in Grand Rapids, and the river was the highest I'd ever seen it.
Ironically, yesterday was National Pot Day

[Saturnalia]

The Grand River is cresting in Grand Rapids right now at 21.84 feet. It has not risen in the last four hours, and actually the latest reading is 21.83. That is good for 35,100 cubic feet of water a second.

For comparison, Niagara Falls averages 64,750 cubic feet per second.

[Jochs]

Here's a pic I found on facebook:


Did the river ever go over the floodwalls along Market?

[AARR]

Adds extra weight to stabilize the bridge with the water pushing against it. Normally just the pilings are getting forced, but now the entire structure is acting like a sail in the water. Train cars add weight to make the bridge less likely to be pushed out/off alignment. Especially since this used to be a swing structure. They did the same thing in Newaygo in 1985 or 86. I've seen pictures, I wasn't born yet...

Thanks Pudge, that's what I wanted to know. Suppose I could have googled it

[~Z~]

Took a tour around GR this morning, water level a tiny bit higher than what the photos appeared yesterday. Water and some debris is touching almost all along the bottom of the old swing bridge near the Amtrak depot in GR. Two RR cops at the north end of the bridge. Didn't notice any water over the cement sides of Market, but didn't make it very far down there. Driving I-196 west near Grandville was crazy, felt like the everglades with water surrounding the small strip of land that the highway is.

Just a small note: AARR - the first page of this thread did state a couple times about the covered hoppers being parked on the bridge, that they were there to put weight on the bridge, and even an explanation how that load pushes down on the piers and such. While the: no, "they're floating in the air" isn't needed, the post saying to read earlier is ok.

[J T]

Here's a pic I found on facebook:

A coworker of mine took those pics. His name is Dave Guthrie.

[AARR]

Not everyone knows all there is to know about railroading. I ask questions that others may be thinking too but are afraid to ask because of responses like SD80MAC's and Wyatts. Questions, no matter who they come from, keep the conversation going. Thankfully there are people who realize this and take the time to answer.

I also don't consider acknowledging someones good work and effort to share it with the rest of us a wasted post. On this matter some of us will simply have to disagree.