MI - Dams breached, thousands evacuated amid flooding, Midland County, May 2020

[BetteDavisEyes]

2 Michigan dams breached, thousands evacuated amid flooding

The governor warned that downtown Midland could end up “under approximately 9 feet of water."

About 10,000 people in central Michigan were told to evacuate their homes after rapidly rising water overwhelmed dams, creating what the National Weather Service called a "life-threatening situation."

"Seek higher ground now!" the weather service in Detroit warned those near the Tittabawassee River and connected lakes in Midland County on Tuesday night, saying a flash flood emergency would be in place until the morning after “catastrophic" failures of the Edenville and Sanford dams...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Tittabawassee River in Midland surpasses historic high; residents assess damage

Midland — The Tittabawassee River reached its historic high early Wednesday morning, said the National Weather Service — and, according to projections, could go four feet higher by day's end.

At about 5:30 a.m., the river reached 33.97 feet, said Trent Frey, a National Weather Service meteorologist. By 8:15 a.m., it was at 34.64 feet. As of 12:30 p.m., 35.04. That's more than a foot higher than the previous record, 33.9 feet, set during the flood of 1986.

The river is considered in flood stage at 24 feet, and major flood stage at 28 feet, and had been as low as 14 feet mid-day Sunday.

The river is more than 20 feet higher than it was just three days ago...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

‘Catastrophic’ flooding, evacuations in mid-Michigan as dams fail: What to know

Governor declares state of emergency in Midland County

DETROIT – About 10,000 people in mid-Michigan have been asked to evacuate their homes after multiple dams were breached, causing a major flooding emergency.

For the second time in less than 24 hours, families living along the Tittabawassee River and connected lakes in Midland County were ordered Tuesday evening to leave home. By Wednesday morning, water that was several feet high covered some streets near the river in downtown Midland, including riverside parkland, and reaching a hotel and parking lots...

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Floodwaters as high as 1.5 metres submerged parts of the city of Midland in central Michigan on Wednesday after heavy rain caused a swollen river to overflow its banks and breach two nearby dams, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

The National Weather Service warned of "life-threatening" flooding as water levels of the Tittabawassee River in Midland, about 200 kilometres northwest of Detroit, reached historic levels and were expected to continue rising. No casualties have been reported.

"Never in my whole life have we seen the dam fail," said Mark Bone, 53, a business owner and resident of the city of Midland. "It flood real bad in '86, but never like this."

Bone, who also serves as chairman of the Midland County Board of Commissioners, said he has not slept much since the evacuations were ordered for the south and west sides of Midland two nights ago as a precaution. He said no injuries or deaths had yet been reported.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday declared an emergency for Midland County, including the city of Midland, with about 40,000 residents after days of heavy rain led to the collapse of the Edenville and Sanford dams.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/michigan-dam-flood-1.5576545
Eta: video

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[meanmaryjean]

A friend of mine is a nurse there. They have evacuated the hospital and there are a couple of nursing homes in concerning areas.

 

[fred&edna]

Feds revoked failed Edenville dam's license in 2018 over inability to handle big floods

And

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[Only4Justice]

This is very, very concerning in so many ways.

 

[LadyL]

geez as if they're not going through enough with covid ... poor people
I hope they all stay safe

 

[LadyL]

Feds revoked failed Edenville dam's license in 2018 over inability to handle big floods

And

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oh wow that is shocking

 

[Hatfield]

Feds revoked failed Edenville dam's license in 2018 over inability to handle big floods

And

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My goodness.

A house floating down and according to one of the witnesses you can hear on the video, it crashes into another small house. It does seem to slow down and hit something before coming through at the very end of the clip.

Its incredible and also sad for whoever owned the homes.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Midland City Manager Brad Kaye said flood heights are expected to be up to 5 feet higher than the last highest flood in 1986.

“In the 1986 flood, it was considered a 100-year flood,” said Kaye. “Current flood is predicted to be the equivalent of a 500-year flood.”

A “500-year flood” means there’s a 0.002% chance — 1 in 500 — of it occurring in a given year, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Thousands evacuate as ‘500-year flood’ destroys 2 dams in Michigan – NewsRadio 560 KPQ

 

[imstilla.grandma]

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[imstilla.grandma]

Snip:For more than a decade, Boyce Hydro “knowingly and willfully refused to comply with major aspects of its license ... with the result that public safety has been put at risk, and the public has been denied the benefits, particularly project recreation, to which it is entitled,” the commission’s order said.

“The record demonstrates that there is no reason to believe that Boyce Hydro will come into compliance,” the commission added. The company “has displayed a history of obfuscation and outright disregard of its obligations.”

The company twice lowered Wixom Lake’s level without permission after the federal license was revoked, said Nick Assendelft, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, which has overseen the Edenville barrier since its federal license was withdrawn.

The department was pursuing enforcement action for the violation and resulting damage to natural resources when the dam gave way, Assendelft said. A lawsuit filed April 30 says the lengthy drawdowns in 2018 and 2019 killed “thousands, if not millions” of freshwater mussels, many listed as endangered species.

The Four Lakes Task Force, an authority formed by the two counties and area property owners, agreed to buy all four dams on the rivers from Boyce Hydro last December and was planning to close the deal within the next couple of months, spokeswoman Stacey Trapani said.

The group planned to raise $32 million for the purchase and for major upgrades and maintenance, she said.

“We’re still in emergency mode at the moment,” Trapani said. “As soon as we are able, we’ll start assessments so we can determine a path forward.”
Michigan dam had repeated safety violations before flooding

https://www.ferc.gov/media/statements-speeches/chatterjee/2020/03-19-20-chatterjee.pdf

eta:
EGLE - Dam Safety

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Michigan residents, businesses and nonprofits are inundating Facebook’s Midland County dam collapse crisis response page, offering things like lodging, transportation, clothes, diapers, and pet supplies to those in need.

• The Farwell Labor Day Committee has offered the Farwell Fairgrounds in Clare County.

• The Humane Society of Midland County is offering emergency shelter for pets that have been displaced by the flood, as well as pet supplies such as dog and cat food and cat litter.

• Humane Society of Midland County

• Broader Borders, a Gladwin-area dog day care facility, is also offering temporary shelter for displaced pets. Broader Boarders

• Footprints of Michigan, a nonprofit providing footwear to those in need, is offering new and gently used shoes to adults and children impacted by the flood. Flood victims can request assistance on the Footprints website by filling out the form on its Contact Us page or calling 877-811-7463.

• The Great Lakes Bay Regional Convention & Visitors MBureau has assembled a list of hotels in the area currently open to flood victims.

• Those in need of emergency assistance can call 2-1-1 to be connected to emergency shelters, supplies, clothing, financial support, and more. Local disaster relief resources can also be found at reliefmidland.org.

• Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to register online with the United Way of Midland County.

• Donations can be made to the Midland Area Community Foundation Flood Relief Project Fund, which will provide for disaster relief in Midland County with the funds to be directed by the Midland County long-term recovery group in consultation with the Midland County emergency manager.

Michigan steps up to help residents evacuated by dam break

 

[Spellbound]

Michigan flooding forces Dow chemical plant to activate emergency plan

Flood waters from the ongoing deluge in Midland County have mixed with containment ponds at the vast Dow chemical plant in Midland, the company announced Wednesday.

=-----
(No chemical releases have been detected,as of this article)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/clim...ba445a-9afb-11ea-ad79-eef7cd734641_story.html

Michigan flood displaces thousands, threatens Superfund site
Floodwaters surging through Central Michigan on Wednesday were mixing with containment ponds at a Dow Chemical Co. plant and could displace sediment from a downstream Superfund site, though the company said there was no risk to people or the environment.


Dow said the ponds held only water, and it has detected no chemical releases from the plant in Midland where the company was founded, though the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said state officials would evaluate the plant when they’re able. Once the flooding recedes, Dow will be required to assess the Superfund site — contaminated with dioxins the company dumped in the last century — to determine if any contamination was released, the EPA said.

Midland City Manager Brad Kaye said Wednesday that the Sanford Dam is overflowing but that the extent of structural damage isn’t yet known.

If the entire dam structure were to fail, “there would be a much higher surge that will come down the river and that could raise the level much more quickly than what we’re seeing right at the moment,” Kaye said.


The state has been a national hot spot for COVID-19, with more than 52,000 cases and 5,000 deaths, but Midland County has had fewer than 80 cases and under 10 deaths. Still, residents were advised to take precautions and schools set up as shelters spaced cots to adhere to social distancing guidelines.


In 2018, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revoked Boyce Hydro’s license to operate the Edenville Dam due to non-compliance issues that included spillway capacity and the inability to pass the most severe flood reasonably possible. That year, the state rated the dam, built in 1924, in unsatisfactory condition.

The Sanford Dam, which was built in 1925, received a fair condition rating. Both are in the process of being sold.