Thousands evacuated in mid Michigan after massive flooding from broken dams

by: WOOD TV 8

MIDLAND, Mich. (WOOD TV) — Days of heavy rain which caused the failure of two dams and massive widespread flooding have forced the evacuation of roughly 10,000 people from communities in central Michigan

On Wednesday in a press briefing Governor Whitmer warned that one city could end up “under approximately 9 feet of water” Wednesday.

Families with homes along the Tittabawassee River and connected lakes in Midland County were ordered to leave home Tuesday evening.

The National Weather Service said Wednesday's river levels topped a previous record reading of 33.9 feet set during historic floods of 1986,

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.

Read more: WOODTV.COM


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