Section of Clinton River Trail washed away in Rochester after storms flood parts of city
Damaged portion of Clinton River Trail in Rochester. Photo courtesy of public works department supervisor.
ROCHESTER, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Rochester Department of Public Works is warning pedestrians to avoid the Clinton River Trail after recent rains washed a section of the path away.
A department supervisor said about 100 feet of the trail was gone after several inches of rain fell over the region, flooding spots of metro Detroit, including southern Oakland County.
The damaged section of the trail, between Dequindre and Letica Drive and just south of Parkdale Road, is now completely closed to pedestrians. Supervisor Jason Dickinson said a nearby retention pond had been filling up, leading to enough pressure that caused part of the path to collapse.
"The pond is a buffer, but with the amount of rain we've gotten over the past few days, the pressure built up and it blew the trail out," he said.
Rochester Police posted a photo of the damage on their social media page, warning people to stay away due to the trail being "completely washed away." The police chief told FOX 2 he had heard the city received 5–6 inches of rain over the past two days.
In addition to the trail damage, several homes, businesses, and even the fire department received some flooding due to the storms.
"Our waterways can't handle the volumes of water all at once," said Chief George Rouhib. "I'm really surprised by the amount of rain in late June and early July. It's just really unpredictable."
The city is working to erect a barrier at the trail to keep pedestrians from venturing too close to the damage.
No injuries have been reported due to the flooding.
Dickinson warned if they receive any more rain, the trail could further erode as nothing is preventing water from reaching the path.
According to the National Weather Service, there are chances of showers on Tuesday and Wednesday. The rest of the week is expected to be dry.
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