Travelers from Benton Harbor to South Haven and beyond were dealing with a wild ride to work this Friday morning, March 6th, 2020, as a late winter storm with strong winds off of Lake Michigan created a series of storm surge situations flooding roadways and causing some to be closed to traffic.
In Benton Harbor, the I-94 Business Loop along Main Street from the Berrien County Jail to the Riverview roundabout was closed to traffic after the storm surge pumped excessive water over the roadway in a recurring situation driven by lake and river levels higher than the elevation of the roadbed at that location. That’s a persistent problem that has forced periodic shutdowns when surging waters cover the roadway.
The road remains closed this morning due to the current situation. The Riverview flooding is shown in this photo shared by Christine Wilke from Prairie Real Estate Group anchored on Main Street in downtown Benton Harbor.
Meanwhile, the community of South Haven is witnessing some major gale force winds creating storm surge situations for the city’s Southside Marina, North Beach, Lakeshore Drive and Avery Avenue running along the Black River there.
Tom Renner from South Haven Area Emergency Services shared a series of photos depicting the chaos created by the churning, surging, wind-driven waters that have flooded a variety of locations in that community this morning. 
