'Catastrophic Dam Failures': Thousands Evacuated in Central Michigan as Communities Flooded
Rising water has overtaken dams on rivers in central Michigan, forcing the evacuation of 10,000 people from flooded communities.
For the second time in less than 24 hours, families living along the Tittabawassee River and connected lakes in Midland County were ordered to leave home Tuesday evening. By Wednesday morning, water several feet deep covered some streets, parking lots, and parkland and had reached a hotel near the river in downtown Midland.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said downtown Midland, a city of 42,000 people, faced an especially serious flooding threat.
"In the next 12 to 15 hours, downtown Midland could be under approximately 9 feet of water," the governor said during a late Tuesday briefing. "We are anticipating an historic high water level."
The AJPlus news website tweeted photos of the rapidly rising water.
10,000 people in Michigan were evacuated after 2 dams collapsed due to rain, flooding towns. One of the dams had its licensed revoked in 2018 — one of 19 rated unsatisfactory.
— AJ+ (@ajplus) May 20, 2020
The governor says parts of Midland will be under 9 feet of water: "This is unlike anything we've seen." pic.twitter.com/Gbs5JZ9BQO
On Wednesday morning, the river topped a previous record reading of 33.9 feet (10.3 meters) set during flooding in 1986, the National Weather Service said. Its flood stage is 24 feet (7.3 meters), and it was expected to crest by day's end at about 38 feet (11.6 meters).
The Weather Service urged anyone near the river to seek higher ground following "catastrophic dam failures" at the Edenville Dam, about 140 miles (225 kilometers) north of Detroit, and the Sanford Dam, about seven miles (11 kilometers) downriver. The evacuations come as Michigan remains under a stay-at-home order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Area schools were set up as shelters Tuesday, with cots spaced apart to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Dow Chemical Co. has been headquartered in Midland for more than 120 years, and its main plant sits on the city's riverbank. The company, with 9,000 employees and contractors in the city, shut down all operations except those needed to contain chemicals.
By Wednesday, floodwater was mixing with on-site containment ponds and the company and US Coast Guard activated emergency plans, Dow said in a statement. Only essential staff was on site and no injuries have been reported, the company said.
The towns of Edenville, Sanford and parts of Midland have been evacuated, according to Selina Tisdale, spokeswoman for the city of Midland. There have been no reported injuries or fatalities due to the flooding, and no reports of anyone trapped by the high water, Tisdale said Wednesday.
In 2018, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revoked the license of the company that operated the Edenville Dam due to non-compliance issues that included spillway capacity and the inability to pass the most severe flood reasonably possible in the area. That same year, the state rated the Edenville Dam, which was built in 1924, in unsatisfactory condition. The Sanford Dam, which was built in 1925, received a fair condition rating.
The Weather Service issued flood warnings because of widespread rainfall of 4 to 7 inches (10.2 to 17.8 centimeters) since Sunday. Heavy runoff pushed rivers higher. This upcoming Saturday, there's a 30% chance of rain, with more moving into the area Sunday and Monday.
