Storms Cut Power in Chicago, Release Sewage in Michigan

Showers and thunderstorms, vestiges of Hurricane Chantal, continued across lower Michigan Friday after cutting power to thousands of Chicago homes and forcing the release of raw sewage into a Michigan river, the National Weather Service said.

Two inches of rain fell in an hour at Grand Rapids, Mich., and Kent County health officials said the storm forced 40 million gallons of untreated sewage into the Grand River from the city’s sewer and storm-water system.

Officials in Kent and neighboring Ottawa counties warned residents to avoid the river water.

There was locally heavy rain in Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Five inches fell in Grant, Mich., 4.5 inches fell in Sparta and more than 3.5 inches fell in four hours in Tuscola County, Mich., the weather service said.