Talk about drenched: June rainfall totals on record-setting pace in Lansing area

LANSING - If it doesn't stop raining soon, the Lansing region could challenge a 136-year-old precipitation record for the month of June.

From midnight May 31 to early Tuesday afternoon, about 7.15 inches of rain had fallen at Capital Region International Airport, the National Weather Service said.

That would make this month the 10th wettest June on record, with 10 days still to go.

"It ranks up there really high in terms of rainfall," said Brandon Hoving, a forecaster for the weather service in Grand Rapids. "If we continue on this pace, eight inches would put us in sixth place, nine inches in fourth place, 10 inches in third and 11 inches would be second place."

The wettest June on record: 11.35 inches in 1883.

The wet spring and early summer – and unusually wet conditions going back to last spring –  have devastated farmers in mid-Michigan and throughout the Midwest, preventing them from planting their crops and subjecting them to lost yields and potentially huge losses.

Flash flooding has caused traffic hazards and sanitary sewer overflows, sending untreated sewage directly into area rivers. Heavy rains on Thursday led to numerous road closures in the region.

A flood advisory will remain in effect until 11:15 a.m. Friday. 

The Lansing area usually gets around 3½ inches of rain in June, the weather service said.

More than an inch had fallen at the airport from midnight Wednesday to Thursday afternoon, pushing Lansing's year-to-date precipitation total to more than 19 inches, Hoving said. That's the ninth highest total for that period since record-keeping began in 1863, he said.

"No matter how you slice it statistically, it's a very impressive year for precipitation here," he said.

Friday was expected to be dry, but another system could bring showers and thunderstorms to the region beginning on Saturday and continuing into early next week, the weather service said. Pockets of heavy rain are possible, with some areas getting an inch or more.

Officials are urging drivers not to try to traverse flooded roadways.

If you haven't thought about it, it's also a good idea to turn off your automatic lawn sprinkler system. If you don't, you're wasting money and adding to the flooding situation.

Don't laugh.

Ron Lewis, course superintendent at Forest Akers Golf Courses, said he sees many sprinkler systems operating when he's driving in the area at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m.

More:How much has it rained? Golf course skips irrigating 8 million gallons of water

More:Multiple roads in Eaton County closed due to flooding

Sarah Lehr contributed to this report.

Contact Ken Palmer at (517) 377-1032 or kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.