Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) declared a state of emergency for Midland County on Tuesday night after two dams failed, flooding areas along the Tittabawassee River. The National Weather Service warned anyone near the engorged river to seek higher ground after "catastrophic dam failures" at the Edenville and Sanford dams, about 140 miles north of Detroit. Michigan officials said about 10,000 residents are being evacuated in Midland, Edenville, and Sanford. Midland, a town of 42,000, has a major Dow Chemical plant on the city's riverbank.
"In the next 12 to 15 hours, downtown Midland could be under approximately nine feet of water," Whitmer warned in a press briefing late Tuesday. "If you have not evacuated the area, do so now and get somewhere safe," she added in a statement. "This is unlike anything we've seen in Midland County. If you have a family member or loved one who lives in another part of the state, go there now. If you don't, go to one of the shelters that have opened across the county."
Heavy rains have caused flooding as far away as Chicago this week. The Edenville Dam, built in 1924, was rated in unsatisfactory condition by Michigan in 2018 and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revoked the license of its operator, The Associated Press reports. In all, Michigan had 19 high hazard dams in poor or unsatisfactory condition in 2018, AP adds. The Sanford Dam, built in 1925, was deemed in fair condition by the state, and both it and the Edenville Dam "are in the process of being sold."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
JD Vance wades into choppy religious waters about wife UshaTHE EXPLAINER By emphasizing his hope that the Second Lady convert to Christianity, the Vice President of the United States is inviting controversy from across the religious spectrum
-
One great cookbook: ‘My Bombay Kitchen’The Week Recommends A personal, scholarly wander through a singular cuisine
-
Is AI to blame for recent job cuts?Today’s Big Question Numerous companies have called out AI for being the reason for the culling
-
Warner Bros. explores sale amid Paramount bidsSpeed Read The media giant, home to HBO and DC Studios, has received interest from multiple buying parties
-
Gold tops $4K per ounce, signaling financial uneaseSpeed Read Investors are worried about President Donald Trump’s trade war
-
Electronic Arts to go private in record $55B dealspeed read The video game giant is behind ‘The Sims’ and ‘Madden NFL’
-
New York court tosses Trump's $500M fraud fineSpeed Read A divided appeals court threw out a hefty penalty against President Trump for fraudulently inflating his wealth
-
Trump said to seek government stake in IntelSpeed Read The president and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan reportedly discussed the proposal at a recent meeting
-
US to take 15% cut of AI chip sales to ChinaSpeed Read Nvidia and AMD will pay the Trump administration 15% of their revenue from selling artificial intelligence chips to China
-
NFL gets ESPN stake in deal with DisneySpeed Read The deal gives the NFL a 10% stake in Disney's ESPN sports empire and gives ESPN ownership of NFL Network
-
Samsung to make Tesla chips in $16.5B dealSpeed Read Tesla has signed a deal to get its next-generation chips from Samsung
