Wednesday, May 20, 2020


MICHIGAN FLOOD UPDATES

‘Unlike anything we’ve seen’: Gov Whitmer declares emergency

 as Michigan dam breach sends thousands scrambling for shelter



PRIVATELY OWNED DAMS  
NOT REPAIRED OR MAINTAINED AS ORDERED AND REQUIRED
ANOTHER OF THOSE PIECES OF RED TAPE 
WE CALL REGULATIONS
WHICH FAILS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ENFORCED. 
NATIONALISE ALL DAMS IN THE USA UNDER DPA 
PUT THEM UNDER THE ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS TO MAINTAIN AND FUND THEM


Thousands evacuated as river dams break in central Michigan

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Mark Musselman brings a chair to the front of his house from the back yard, wading through floodwater, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 in Edenville, Mich. People living along two mid-Michigan lakes and parts of a river have been evacuated following several days of heavy rain that produced flooding and put pressure on dams in the area. (Katy Kildee/Midland Daily News via AP)

VIDEO AT THE END
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EDENVILLE, Mich. (AP) — Rapidly rising water overtook dams and forced the evacuation of about 10,000 people in central Michigan, where the governor said one downtown could be “under approximately 9 feet of water” by Wednesday.

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.

The National Weather Service on Tuesday evening urged anyone near the river to seek higher ground following “castastrophic dam failures” at the Edenville Dam, about 140 miles (225.31 kilometers) north of Detroit, and the Sanford Dam, about seven miles (11.26 kilometers) downriver.


Michigan Gov. Gretchen said downtown Midland, a city of 42,000 about 8 miles (12.87 kilometers) downstream from the Sanford Dam, faced an especially serious flooding threat. Dow Chemical Co.’s main plant sits on the city’s riverbank.

“In the next 12 to 15 hours, downtown Midland could be under approximately 9 feet of water,” the governor said. “We are anticipating an historic high water level.”

Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Midland County and urged residents threatened by the flooding to find a place to stay with friends or relatives or to seek out one of several shelters that opened across the county. She encouraged people to do their best to take precautions to prevent the spread of coronavirus, such as wearing a face covering and observing social distancing “to the best of your ability.”

“This is unlike anything we’ve seen in Midland County,” she said. ”If you have a family member or loved one who lives in another part of the state, go there now.”

Emergency responders went door-to-door early Tuesday morning warning residents living near the Edenville Dam of the rising water. Some residents were able to return home, only to be told to leave again following the dam’s breach several hours later. The evacuations include the towns of Edenville, Sanford and parts of Midland, according to Selina Tisdale, spokeswoman for Midland County.




“We were back at home and starting to feel comfortable that things were calming down,” said Catherine Sias, who lives about 1 mile (1.61 kilometers) from the Edenville Dam and first left home early Tuesday morning. “All of a sudden we heard the fire truck sirens going north toward the dam.”

Sias, 45, said emergency alerts then began coming on her cellphone and people started calling to make sure she was safe.

“While packing, there were tons of police and fire trucks going up and down the roads,” she added. “As far as I know, all of our neighbors got out.”

While driving along a jammed M-30, the state highway that’s the main road through Edenville and that crosses the river north of town, Sias saw the rushing Tittabawassee River. “It was very dramatic, very fast and full of debris,” she said.





THE PROBLEM IS PRIVATIZED DAMS NOT BEING MAINTAINED

D
ow Chemical has activated its emergency operations center and will be adjusting operations as a result of current flood stage conditions, spokeswoman Rachelle Schikorra said in an email.

“Dow Michigan Operations is working with its tenants and Midland County officials and will continue to closely monitor the water levels on the Tittabawassee River,” Schikorra said.

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.

The Edenville Dam, which was built in 1924, was rated in unsatisfactory condition in 2018 by the state. The Sanford Dam, which was built in 1925, received a fair condition rating.

Both dams are in the process of being sold.

There were 19 high hazard dams in unsatisfactory or poor condition in Michigan in 2018, ranking 20th among the 45 states and Puerto Rico for which The Associated Press obtained condition assessments.


Flood warnings in Michigan were issued following widespread rainfall of 4 to 7 inches (10.2 to 17.8 centimeters) since Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Heavy runoff pushed rivers higher.

The Tittabawassee River was at 30.5 feet (9.3 meters) and rising Tuesday night - flood stage is 24 feet (7.3 meters). It was expected to crest Wednesday morning at a record of about 38 feet (11.6 meters).

The heavy rains early in the week also caused flooding elsewhere in the region. In Chicago, water that flooded some areas downtown was receding Tuesday, but Larry Langford, a fire department spokesman, said that he did not expect power to be restored at the iconic Willis Tower for days because the rains caused the building’s subbasements to fill with as much as 25 feet (7.6 meters) of water. The building was closed to tenants and visitors.



Michigan river rises to highest level ever after dam break

Flooding is seen in Midland, Mich., after a dam failed on Tuesday and forced thousands to evacuate. Photo courtesy City of Midland/Facebook
Flooding is seen in Midland, Mich., after a dam failed on Tuesday and forced thousands to evacuate. Photo courtesy City of Midland/Facebook
 MAY 20, 2020 / 10:34 AM

May 20 (UPI) -- A dam breach in central Michigan that forced thousands to evacuate has swelled the Tittabawasse River to its highest level in history, forecasters said Wednesday.

The earthen Edenville Dam held back the river, which reached the record high of 34 feet in Midland, the National Weather Service said. Forecasters expect the water level to rise further before it crests at about 38 feet Wednesday night.

The Edenville Dam ruptured Tuesday after swelling with several inches of rain, and was followed by the failure of Sanford Dam in Midland County. The failures forced thousands to evacuate Midland and surrounding areas and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency.

"This is unlike anything we've seen in Midland County," Whitmer said at a news conference Tuesday. "If you have a family member or loved one who lives in another part of the state, go there now."

Downtown Midland, the site of a major Dow Chemical plant, is projected to be under as many as 9 feet of water by late Wednesday, Whitmer said.

According to records, the company that owns the dam had a federal license revoked in 2018.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revoked the license for Boyce Hydro Power to generate power at the Edenville Dam, citing the company's failure over a years-long span to correct safety problems, including its ability to withstand a major flood.

FERC regulators said they were revoking the license because of the company's "longstanding failure to increase the project's spillway capacity to safely pass flood flows, as well as its failure to comply with its license" and commission regulations.

Midland County and neighboring Gladwin Country agreed to buy the dams from Boyce Hydro in January.





Michigan town could be under 9 feet of water 
by Wednesday, governor says



2020/5/19 ©Detroit Free Press

DETROIT — Urging residents to evacuate and saying downtown Midland could be under nine feet of water by Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer late Tuesday declared a state of emergency for Midland County after the Edenville and Sanford dams breached.

Speaking during a press conference late Tuesday, Whitmer said parts of the city of Midland, the village of Sanford and Edenville and Dow Chemical had been evacuated.

“This is unlike anything we’ve seen before … but this is truly a historic event that’s playing out in the midst of another historic event,” Whitmer said, referring to the coronavirus pandemic which has led to stay-at-home orders throughout the state.

She said that despite those orders generally telling people to stay home, it was important that anyone living in the affected areas evacuate as quickly as possible to safer areas, or go to the homes of relatives and friends. She also said shelters have opened at area schools.

The dams were breached earlier Tuesday following several days of rainfall, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people in mid-Michigan.

Emergency responders were going door-to-door early Tuesday morning warning residents living near the Edenville Dam of the rising water, the Associated Press reported. Some residents were able to return home, only to be told to leave again following the dam’s breach.

The Sanford Dam was breached later in the day Tuesday.

Whitmer said she had activated the National Guard and Guardsmen were on the scene already. Helicopters were being used to try to find the best way to evacuate people as well. She also said she would turn to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for help as quickly as she could.

For now, however, she said it was urgent that people get out of harm’s way.

“Please do not hesitate. Go to stay with a friend or relative or go to one of these shelters now,” she said, adding that even at a shelter, people should try to do the best they can to practice social distancing and wear a face covering to protect themselves and others from coronavirus.

Thousands evacuated following Michigan dam failures

By UPI Staff & Chaffin Mitchell Accuweather.com

MAY 19, 2020 / 8:15 PM / UPDATED AT 2:40 AM
VIDEO AT THE END


Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an emergency declaration after two dams failed in Midland County, forcing thousands of residents to immediately evacuate their homes on Tuesday.

Downtown Midland could be under 9 feet of water by Wednesday morning, Gov. Whitmer said during a Livestream on Tuesday night following the two collapses. A flash flood emergency is in effect for the areas downstream, which includes Midland City and Freeland.

Whitmer told residents if they haven't evacuated the area yet, do so now.

"This is unlike anything we've seen in Midland County," she said. "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."

Midland County emergency management told people in Midland City who are located west of Eastman and south of US 10, to evacuate immediately on Tuesday afternoon, NBC25 reported.

A slow-moving storm doused Michigan with heavy rains over the period of several days, triggering fear of imminent dam failure and flood warnings across the state.

At least two rivers in mid-Michigan, the Tittabawassee River in Midland and the Rifle River near Sterling, reached their major flood stage on Tuesday afternoon, sending dams past their limits.

Flooding from Pine River in Arenac County. Photo courtesy of the Arenac County Sheriff's Department.

Areas around Midland reported 3 inches to 4 inches of rain since Sunday, which produced a "tremendous" amount of runoff and is causing significant rises on the river system, the National Weather Service said.

The Tittabawassee Fire and Rescue rescued the driver of a pickup truck after the vehicle was swept away while trying to drive on a flooded roadway on Tuesday, WNEM reported.

"A very slowly moving storm system and cold front pushing through the Midwest has produced anywhere from 100 to 200 mm [3 inches to 8 inches] of rainfall in just the past week from the western Great Lakes through northern Indiana and into southern Missouri," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Jack Boston said.

Edenville Township residents along Sanford and Wixom lakes northwest of Midland were urged to evacuate their homes and advised to make arrangements to stay elsewhere through Wednesday. Shelters have been set up at schools in the area.

Officials in Arenac and Gladwin counties also urged residents to evacuate due to the possible dam breach from flash flooding along the Tittabawassee and Cedar rivers.

As floodwaters continued rising, threatening to cut off road access, emergency personnel warned citizens about the potential dangers of flooding and to find alternative routes if met with road closures. If drivers are caught going around a barricade, it can result in a traffic violation with a substantial fine, according to road commission official

Officials with Bay County Road Commission said the county is experiencing water over roads in some areas and water issues with draining. The commission is in the process of working on a map of roads closed and water over the road, according to the commission's Facebook post.

"With all the rain we are getting, the river is rising and roads may be underwater. If you see water over the road, please do not attempt to drive thru it. Find an alternate route. Also, We are also aware there are water issues with draining. We just received a very large amount of rain and it has no where to go. Please be patient over the next couple days," the post reads, MLive reports.

Around 1 a.m. Tuesday, the Saginaw County Emergency Management Team reported that an Edenville Dam failure in Midland could impact residents along the Tittabawassee River in Tittabawassee and Saginaw townships.

Midland County Emergency Management stated that the Edenville and Sanford dams are "structurally sound but spilling floodwaters" as of around 3 a.m. Tuesday, according to MLive.

Later on Tuesday, Midland County Emergency Management said that the Edenville and Sanford dams "are structurally sound but can no longer control or contain the amount of water flowing through the spill gates." The county is working with the hydroelectric power plant Boyce Hydro to assess the dams.

"At this point, the water is still rising from all of the rainfall we received over the last couple of days and it will continue to do so throughout the day," the Midland County Central Dispatch Authority said Tuesday.

The Tittabawassee River in Midland entered major flood stage Tuesday morning when the river was observed at 28.46 feet, according to a Midland County news release. The flood stage is 24 feet, and the river is expected to crest at 30.6 feet early Wednesday before levels start to subside over the next couple of days.

A flood warning remains in effect for the Tittabawassee, from Midland downstream to Saginaw, and the forecast does not show relief for Midland.

Severe thunderstorms are possible tomorrow afternoon and evening for the highlighted areas. Hazards include damaging winds, large hail and frequent lightning, the National Weather Service said on Tuesday late afternoon.

Severe thunderstorms are possible tomorrow afternoon and evening for the highlighted areas. Hazards include damaging winds, large hail, and frequent lightning. Check back for updates! #txwx #nmwx pic.twitter.com/ZkfJgzgr9x— NWS Midland (@NWSMidland) May 19, 2020

The heavy rain that stretched from Michigan to the Ohio River Valley will shift to the southern Appalachians, Carolinas and western Virginia on Tuesday and Wednesday, the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center said. The threat of flash flooding is likely, especially in the western Carolinas and Virginia.

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