FLOOD 2011

On March 3rd the National Weather Service predicted a 90 percent chance of major flooding for the Marquette area, with an 80 percent chance of the river reaching 24.7 feet, which would have put it above the second highest crest of 23.75 feet on April 20, 2001 and just below the record crest of 25.38 feet set in 1965.   Faced with these predictions Marquette began flood preparations with a request for flood emergency assistance to the Corps of Engineers for construction of emergency levees.  On April 13, 2011 this request was granted and work began.  The Corp of Engineers on April 14 began raising the levees to a level of 26 feet to keep the mighty Mississippi River and Bloody Run Creek at bay.  The river crested on April 11 at 21.38, the fourth highest ever recorded.