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Major flooding leaves drivers stranded in Monroe

Monroe residents say flooding is normal in the area, but not to the extent seen on Friday.

MONROE, Michigan — Streets in Monroe were completely flooded with icy water from the River Raisin Friday, after heavy rainfall swept the area the night before.

On Michigan Avenue, Katelyn Puruleski's car was stuck on the street.

"I do not know what I'm going to do," she said.

Puruleski grabbed some waders and a purple sled, trying to save what she could from inside her car.

"My momma actually woke me up, she was like, 'The street is flooded. Your car is in snow and ice,'" she said.

The water was waist high and refreezing constantly.

"It's actually all ice, you can't even walk through it. I was actually hitting it with a rake to try and walk through it. It's all a sheet of ice," Puruleski said.

Friday morning, fire and police crews had to rescue a woman who got her car stuck nearby. Rescue crews said the woman had been driving through the floodwaters and stalled out.

Ice jams at the River Raisin are common but neighbors said flooding is not usually to this extent.

"All that ice will come down here and there is a lot of infrastructure here with all the bridges and the dams and things in this particular area, which backs up all the ice here in this area which causes flooding," Monroe Police Department Acting Commander John Wall said.

Officials blocked off flooded roads and warned people Friday to avoid the area.

"Don't come down here. Don't explore this. Don't be on the ice, in the river and don't drive your vehicle through flooded water. If you see something that doesn't look right, don't proceed through that," Wall said.

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