Update: October 20, 2011
The strong winds and rains have left several homes and business in the dark.
As of early Thursday Morning, Consumers Energy reports the following numbers of homes are still without power:
* 5,900 in Saginaw County
* 1,900 in Bay County
* 1,100 in Genesee County,
* 480 in Midland County
Several roads were closed Thursday morning. Please give yourself extra time as you travel.
For school closings, be sure to check the NBC25 School Closing list here.
The NBC25 Newsroom received several reports of power outages, down trees and power lines and even some injuries because of the storms.
Water levels on the Saginaw Bay and Saginaw River were expected to possibly rise at least 5 feet above normal overnight.
Just before dusk Wednesday the winds picked up speed and caused waves to pound the shoreline of Wenona Beach Estates in Bay City.
The storms had started to cause trouble for Krista Marte Wednesday evening, who said she hadn't seen a storm so bad since the 1970's.
"We've heard branches and debris hitting the house all day. The fire department is back there now because of downed power lines."
Krista said she started getting her family ready for the worst in the early afternoon.
"I'm preparing them in case we have to leave tonight. We'll pack the dogs and go stay in a motel if we lose power," said Krista
It's the kind of preparation Bay County Emergency Management Coordinator Chris Izworski says every resident in the area should do when there's a risk of flooding.
"You need to just monitor the situation and make sure you plan your escape well before the water starts rising. The last thing you to do is wait until the last minute," said Chris.
