State officials say drivers may experience delays when traveling to Northern Michigan over the holiday weekend, after heavy rains washed out roads in some areas.
Jeremy Scott is the Antrim County Administrator. He said the area got between 5 and 7 inches of rain in a matter of hours.
"We saw a lot of washouts across many different properties," Scott said.
Scott added that some homeowners have been reporting mudslide-like flooding in their basements.
There are multiple closures across state roads, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Damage along M-88 is severe and issues on M-66 are still being evaluated.
James Lake is a spokesperson for MDOT. He said the most extensive damage is along the Tunnel of Trees on M-119 in Emmet County.
“When we say the road is closed in these locations, we absolutely mean it," Lake said. "Some of these areas remain very unstable and we would hate to have...this damage that has not, to this point, resulted in injuries or deaths become more tragic.”
Lake said travelers should account for extra time when traveling in Antrim and Emmet counties this weekend.
"We have closed as little of the roads as we can," Lake said. "I understand that there are businesses and destinations along these routes that travelers, especially for a holiday weekend, are hoping to reach and there are still ways to reach those."
Lake said travelers should follow detours closely and report any new damages to state roads.
