MIDLAND, Mich. (AP) — It could be days before the full scope of damage from flooding in Central Michigan
that submerged houses, washed out roads and threatened a Superfund site is apparent, authorities warned
Thursday, as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer expressed hope the president will soon sign a federal emergency
declaration.
Some of the floodwaters from heavy rains that overtook two dams retreated, but much remained underwater,
including in Midland, the headquarters of Dow Chemical Co. And floodwaters continued to threaten
downstream communities.
"The damage is truly devastating to see how high the water levels are, to see roofs barely visible
in parts of Midland, and to see a lake that has been drained in another part," said Whitmer, who
toured Midland County on Wednesday.
The flooding forced about 11,000 people to evacuate their homes in the Midland area, about 140 miles (225
kilometers) north of Detroit, following what the National Weather Service called "catastrophic dam
failures" at the Edenville Dam, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Midland, and the
Sanford Dam, about 9 miles (14 kilometers) northwest of the city.
Whitmer said she spoke briefly with President Donald Trump on Wednesday, and that her office had been in
contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency about securing federal aid for the area.
She said she hoped Trump would sign a federal emergency declaration during his visit to a Ford
manufacturing plant in Michigan on Thursday.
"He did say, ‘If I get an opportunity to go to Midland, would you consider joining me,’" said
Whitmer, adding that Trump asked about casualties and damage. "I said, ‘Of course I would.’"

No flood-related deaths or injuries have been reported, officials said.
The floodwaters mixed 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 containment 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 it was fortunate that the Tittabawassee River crested at just over 35
feet (11 meters), about 3 feet (90 centimeters) below the forecast level.
Kaye warned that it could take four or five days for the floodwaters to recede, and asked residents to
use caution when traveling or returning to their homes.
"Don’t rush out thinking that you can just rush back to your homes, because the water is still there
… this is not over," Kaye said.
Most of the water drained from Wixom Lake in Midland County’s Hope Township after the Edenville Dam
failed, and residents wondered Thursday when, or if, water will return.
"I’m sick about it. You know, I mean, it’s just sickening," said resident Glenn Hart, 66, who
surveyed the lake with his grandson.
"Usually, that’s 21 feet deep out there in the cut," Hart said, pointing from his backyard to
the muddy ground that used to be the lake bottom. "Good fishing area. Well, there’s no fish now.
And we don’t know when we’ll get water again."
Mark Musselman’s home is a total loss. He planned to fly to Florida later Thursday, then drive his motor
home back, set it up in the driveway and oversee the tearing down of his house.
"Well, everything’s destroyed pretty much," Musselman said. "You know, we had no way of
knowing. We had plenty of time. We could have got everything out.
"But we just thought that, you know, it was just going to come up. It wouldn’t be any big
deal," he said.
The nearly century-old Edenville Dam has been the target of lengthy investigations by federal regulators,
who revoked the facility’s license over safety violations two years ago. Officials have said the Sanford
Dam was overflowing but that the extent of structural damage isn’t yet known.
Whitmer said Wednesday that the state would investigate the operators of the dams and "pursue every
line of legal recourse we have."
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 handle 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.
The commission said it has directed Boyce Hydro to establish an independent investigation team to
determine the cause of the damage to Sanford Dam, and that it would reach out to state officials
regarding the Edenville Dam. It will send an engineer to assist with the investigation when it’s safe to
do so.
The National Weather Service said communities farther downstream should brace for flooding in the coming
days. A flood warning was in effect Thursday along the Tittabawassee River from Midland downstream into
Saginaw, and flooding in that area was possible through the weekend.
The flooding washed away some roadways, and left others impassable. Selina Tisdale, spokeswoman for the
city of Midland, said roads must be inspected for damage that could make traveling hazardous.
"We’re working to get information to folks on when they can return to their houses, but stress that
a lot of infrastructure gets compromised," Tisdale said.
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Webber reported from Oak Park, Illinois, and Williams reported from West Bloomfield, Michigan.