The governor of the state of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, declared a state of emergency last night after heavy rains broke two dams in the region, and has ordered the immediate evacuation of hundreds of people. “We are expecting historic flooding,” she said.
The Edenville and Sanford dams have not been able to stop the rising water flow, and the government has ordered immediate evacuation in Midland County, where National Guard troops have already been deployed.
Authorities have opened several shelters in the affected areas, but evacuation efforts have been complicated by hygiene and social distancing measures against the coronavirus.
“In the next 12 to 15 hours, the center of Midland municipality could be under two and a half meters of water,” the governor warned.
.@GovWhitmer declared a state of emergency for @midlandcountymi after the Edenville & Sanford Dams breached. “If you have not evacuated the area, do so now and get somewhere safe,” said Gov. Whitmer. “This is unlike anything we’ve seen in Midland County." https://t.co/hMmN5QBdlQ https://t.co/oC3YzKv8Ls
— Michigan.gov (@migov) May 20, 2020
