The Tittabawassee River is about 20 feet higher than it was just three days away and reached its historic high early on the morning of May 20, according to the National Weather Service. The National Weather Service said heavy rains sparked the flooding.
By 8:15 a.m. May 20, the river was at 34.64 feet. The river is considered in flood stage at 24 feet and major flood stage at 28.
The governor declared a state emergency on the night of May 19 late after the Edenville and Sanford dams breached. At that time she warned that in the next 12 to 15 hours, downtown Midland could be under approximately 9 feet of water.
“If you have not evacuated the area, do so now and get somewhere safe,” Whitmer said. “This is unlike anything we’ve seen in Midland County. If you have a family member or loved one who lives in another part of the state, go there now. If you don’t, go to one of the shelters that have opened across the county. I want to thank the emergency responders, Michigan National Guard members, and the Michigan State Police on the ground helping residents evacuate. Stay safe, and take care of each other.”
Shelters have opened across Midland County and are available to residents who need a place to go. Shelters remain open until further notice at:
• Midland High School at 1301 Eastlawn,
• Bullock Creek High School at 1420 S. Badour,
• and the West Midland Family Center at 4011 W Isabella.
“We have remained engaged with Midland County officials as the situation has progressed,” said Capt. Kevin Sweeney, deputy state director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and commander of the MSP/EMHSD.
“We will continue to partner with the county to ensure they receive the needed resources to respond and recover from this incident,” Sweeney added.
Those seeking more information on shelters, road closures and updates, visit Midland911.org. Residents are advised to obey all road closure signs and to stay clear of standing water, flooded areas and floating debris. Residents should not attempt to drive or walk through any standing water, and they should take extra precaution where electrical items may be submerged.
More than 50 streets have been closed the area. Meanwhile, the Tittabawassee River continues to grow higher.
The river’s previous high was 33.89 feet on Sept. 13, 1986, according to weather service statistics from 1936.
