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Floods
You will learn in this web page about floods in Kalamazoo County.
The Kalamazoo River has flooded since the early days of settlement. There were floods in the springs of 1854, 1864,1868, and 1869. These floods all occurred as a result of heavy rainfall and snow melt. The flood damage areas were limited to low lands along the Kalamazoo River, Portage Creek , and Axtell Creek. Most of the damage was done to grounds and basements in the low areas.
On March 15 and 16 in 1890, high water levels along the Kalamazoo River combined with heavy rain to cause some severe flooding in several Comstock and Lakewood neighborhoods. Near Three Rivers, water levels along the St. Joseph River was at 8.1 ft. (about 2.1 ft. above flood stage). Some flooding had already happened along Imperial Drive in Comstock and along Lamont Avenue. Because of the flood, people had to leave their homes.
A major flood occurred in February or early March in 1908. The oily flood waters covered the land up to Comstock Ave. in Comstock. Older residents of Comstock recall that this area always flooded over every spring. There was a mid-winter thaw and a dam burst upstream causing the extreme flooding conditions. The Michigan Interurban Railroad Bridge was about 40 feet downsteam from the old iron road bridge in downtown Comstock. This bridge was usually about 14 feet above water level. During this flood, water rose almost to the bottom of the bridge.
It wasn't until the Morrow Dam was built in the late 1930s that improved flood control measures began. Since then, there has been very little flooding in Comstock. An exception was on February 28, 1985. The flood among the worst ever here pushed the Kalamazoo River and several creeks over their banks damaging more than 400 homes and businesses and closing several major streets.
Sources:
Comstock Bicentenial
by Sarah and Jesse
