Replay: Gov. Whitmer provides Michigan flooding update

May 20--Governor Gretchen Whitmer is expected to provide an update to the Michigan's response to the State of Emergency regarding dam conditions in Midland County and the resulting flooding.

Late Tuesday she declared a state of emergency for Midland County, saying parts of the city of Midland, the village of Sanford, Edenville Township, and Dow Chemical had been or were being evacuated.

As of Wednesday morning, the Tittabawasse River hit a historic high, rising above its previous record in 1986, and reaching 34.6 feet.

Federal regulators in 2018 revoked the hydro-power generating license for the collapsed Edenville Dam in Midland and Gladwin counties, citing years of failure by the dam's owners to address safety problems -- especially the dam's ability to withstand a major flood.

President Donald Trump, who is scheduled to visit Michigan Thursday, posted his support on Twitter for efforts to respond to flooding in mid-Michigan that has resulted in thousands of evacuations.

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."

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