Mid-Michigan’s Catastrophic Flooding Adds To State’s Pandemic Woes

May 21--Up and down the river, Michiganders were drawn to the edge of the water out of curiosity. They stood on high ground and took pictures of the river, which was spilling through the town.

Most were not wearing face masks.

There is little doubt Wednesday that life has now gotten much harder for an estimated 10,000 mid-Michigan residents who have homes that were destroyed in a record flood amid a pandemic.

Moreover, the costs to recover for cities like Midland, which were underwater, will be staggering -- and long-lasting.

"What I can tell you, you've already seen from the pictures," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said early Wednesday afternoon in front of Midland High School after taking an aerial tour of the flooding. "It's devastating."

In addition to days of downpours, two dams -- Edenville and Sanford -- in the center of Michigan's Lower Peninsula overflowed, an issue that Whitmer pledged that the state will be reviewing "every legal recourse that we have" because the damage requires that we "hold people responsible."

The timing of the flooding is especially precarious, coming amid a pandemic that has taken the lives of more than 5,000 Michiganders and left about a third of the state's workforce unemployed.

On Wednesday night, President Donald Trump said he'd spoken with Whitmer about the flooding in Midland and had dispatched federal emergency aid officials to inspect. Although Trump planned Thursday to visit southeast Michigan to address issues involving the COVID-19 crisis, he said he would be visiting Michigan's flooded areas "at the appropriate time."

About 130 of Michigan's National Guard soldiers and more than 40 specialized vehicles had been dispatched to the flooded area, with 200 more soldiers on the way, according to state officials.

As the floodwaters rose to record levels, Midland's leaders tried Wednesday to gauge the damage, to decide how to keep evacuees safe amid a pandemic. Yet, there were hopeful signs. It stopped raining, the sun came out and no one had died.

By 8 p.m., just when city and county leaders expected floodwaters to peak at 38 feet, they had welcome news. The crest had been reached at 4 p.m., and at a more manageable 35 feet.

"The waters are receding," Midland City Manager Brad Kaye announced at a news conference.

Hours earlier, residents stepped up to help their neighbors. They traversed treacherous roads to deliver sheltered evacuees food. The governor took a moment in Midland during her otherwise serious media briefing to lightheartedly remind everyone to keep their distance.

Floodwaters came quickly

Amid Midland's drama and devastation was the continuing political backdrop of Trump tweeting support for assistance after the flooding, as well as threats to withhold funding for Michigan if state officials move ahead with plans to send absentee ballot applications to every voter.

About 100 people slept at the shelter on cots and air mattresses spread across the basketball floor at Midland High School. The beds were kept 6 feet apart because of social distancing.

A few people even slept in their cars to avoid catching coronavirus.

In the shelter, people still had to maintain social distancing requirements. Everybody was required to wear masks. Three volunteers walked around the gym, continuously wiping down beds.

The Tittabawassee River in Midland entered major flood stage Tuesday morning when the river reached 28.25 feet at 10:15 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. By afternoon, the Tittabawassee and the Rifle River hit major flood stage.

The Edenville Dam on the Tittabawassee River, which is owned by Boyce Hydro, failed Tuesday evening, and the National Weather Service warned to expect flooding.

Water then went downstream to Sanford Lake, spilling over Sanford Dam. It was unclear how bad the damage was to Sanford Dam and whether it had breached or had just overflowed.

'We're tough. We're smart'

Midland, a city of 42,000, is about 8 miles downstream from the Sanford Dam and faced an especially serious flooding threat. Dow Chemical Co.'s main plant sits on the city's riverbank.

By Wednesday, it was at the center of the damage, but not the only community reeling.

Despite Wednesday's sunshine, Midland City Manager Brad Kaye said, the floodwaters continued to rise throughout the day setting new records, and he warned residents: "don't let up, don't take it easy."

He said the city had been through other storms and flooding, but, "we have never been through an event such as what we are experiencing today." He said that the sewer system has not held up, and there are power outages.

Up and down the river, people stared in awe at the extent of the flooding.

"Downtown Midland hasn't been this packed since all the coronavirus stuff hit," said David Reif, 29, of Midland.

He stood on high ground with Kristen Gerstenberger, 26, and they looked down at the Farmer's Market, which was submerged.

"It's up to the roof," Reif said. "I don't know if that is a 9- or 10-foot ceiling."

On Wednesday, Trump posted his support on Twitter for efforts to respond to flooding in mid-Michigan that has resulted in thousands of evacuations.

"My team is closely monitoring the flooding in Central Michigan -- Stay SAFE and listen to local officials," Trump posted about 10:20 a.m. "Our brave First Responders are once again stepping up to serve their fellow citizens, THANK YOU!"

He also said in a separate post that his administration had already activated military and Federal Emergency Management Agency response teams, but said Whitmer -- who Trump has criticized in the past -- "must now 'set you free' to help."

Whitmer added that she hopes that as a result of the dire situation, the state and federal government will be able to work quickly and cut through any red tape holding it up.

Whitmer said it was hard to believe that we're in the midst of a 100-year crisis, a global pandemic, and that we're also dealing with a flooding event that looks to be the worst in 500 years."

"But, you know what?" she added, "Here's what I know: When the chips are down, the people of Michigan are able to rise up. We're tough. We're smart, and we care about each other."

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com. Free Press Washington correspondent Todd Spangler contributed.

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