Michigan Dams Burst Leading to ‘Catastrophic’ Floods During Pandemic

A state of emergency has been declared in Michigan after two dams were breached by rain-swollen waters. It forced the evacuation of thousands of residents. Record rain over the region had put pressure on the Edenville and Sanford Dams northwest of Detroit. The breached dams sent “catastrophic” floods downstream. Thousands of residents in Midland County are being evacuated in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. No injuries or fatalities related to the flooding have been reported.

Photos of the flooding in Midland, Michigan this morning #Michigan #michiganflood #MidlandDam #midlandflood pic.twitter.com/xM1x8jIGsR

— Brendan Gutenschwager (@bgutenschwager) May 20, 2020

Residents in nearby towns, including Edenville, Sanford, and Midland, were evacuated. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said at a news conference that downtown Midland, with a population of more than 41,000, could be under nine feet of water by Wednesday morning. She implored the residents to take the threat seriously and evacuate immediately. Ms. Whitmer also added that the residents should continue to observe precautions related to the coronavirus. They should wear masks and try maintaining social distancing.

MICHIGAN DAM FAILURES:

•Extreme to catastrophic record flooding
•500-year flood near #Edenville, #Sanford and #Midland
•Emergency declaration from @GovWhitmer
•Dam failures/breaches
•Upwards of 10,000 evacuated #MIwx #michiganflood #MidlandDam pic.twitter.com/XHCNkoDvM3

— Tyler Sebree (@TylerWSFA12) May 20, 2020

The National Weather Service that two rivers in Michigan, the Tittabawassee River in Midland and the Rifle River near Sterling, were in major flooding stage. They have issued a flood warning for the entire stretch of river in Midland County and called the floods “catastrophic.”

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