Michigan Airport Finally Reopening After Nearly A Month Of Flooding

For much of April, the state of Michigan was under a flood advisory that led to historic flooding and nearly caused multiple dams to breach. It was a rare moment when every county in Michigan was under a flood advisory of some kind at once, leading to a State of Emergency on April 15th.

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While much of the flooding is finally under control, one airport has been in an emergency state for nearly a month after the runways were so flooded that planes could not land or take off, halting all operations.

Pellston Regional Airport's Flooding Problem

As of today, May 6th, the Pellston Regional Airport (PLN) in Emmet County resumed operations for the first time since April 11th. However, the journey to get there has been a nightmare. The airport has been experiencing extreme flooding due to a combination of frozen ground, melting snow, and heavy rainfall, leading to nearly a month of shutdown.

The airport has tried a multitude of solutions to clear the water from the runways, including bringing in snow plows to push it off the tarmac and eventually installing three water pumps to continue removing the standing water.

READ MORE: Michigander's Top Connection Airport Named Most Stressful in US

Throughout the entire ordeal, the airport has received praise for its open and transparent communication with both passengers and airlines, giving plenty of heads-up so flights can be redirected without many interruptions.

Thankfully, the airport is now fully operational as water has finally receded enough for planes to safely land. But for the last month, the flooding PLN has been experiencing has been remarkable.