About 10,000 people were told to evacuate from parts of Michigan after floodwaters caused two dams to fail following heavy rain across the state.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a …
About 10,000 people were told to evacuate from parts of Michigan after floodwaters caused two dams to fail following heavy rain across the state.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency Tuesday for Midland County after the Edenville and Sanford dams breached and warned that downtown Midland could be under 9 feet of water by Wednesday afternoon.
The dam collapses have led to impassable roads, a boil water advisory — and raised regulatory questions about Edenville Dam’s hydro-power generating license. It was unclear whether there were any fatalities from the flooding.
Here’s what you need to know about the flooding.
Several dams upstream of Midland along the Tittabawassee had either been breached or were releasing water uncontrollably after 4 to 7 inches of rain fell Sunday and Monday.
The Tittabawassee River in Midland entered major flood stage Tuesday morning when the river was observed at 28.25 feet at 10:15 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. Flood stage is 24 feet.
By Tuesday afternoon, at least two rivers in mid-Michigan — the Tittabawassee River in Midland and the Rifle River near Sterling — had reached their major flood stage.
