More than 10,000 residents in Central Michigan were forced to evacuate due to the flooding caused by the failures of the Edenville Dam and Sanford Dam, according to a recently published article.

Edenville Dam and Sanford Dam Collapsed

The heavy rainfall on late Tuesday has led to the collapsed of the Edenville Dam and Sanford Dam. The catastrophic collapsed of the two dams has released floodwaters that submerged to the houses and businesses along the Tittabawassee River. 

The continuous flooding has forced more than 10,000 residents in central Michigan to evacuate. The rapidly rising waters threatened to flood parts of Midland County as much as nine feet. Governor Gretchen Whitman said that the ongoing flooding is expected to be historic.

This prompted the National Weather Service to issue a rare flash-flood emergency. Meanwhile, the agency added that the Tittabawassee River has already reached 35 feet as of 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday due to the rapid rise of water. They also forecasted that it will rise to 38 feet by Wednesday night.

Gov. Whitman issued an emergency declaration following the collapse of the dams and the rapid rise of water. She also warned that the downtown Midland could be under approximately nine feet on Wednesday. 

Whitman said: "What I can tell you is what you already know, you've seen from the pictures - it's devastating." She is referring to the houses and businesses that submerged with the flooding water that is posted on social media.

A Dual Crisis in Michigan 

Michigan is one of the hardest hits states in the country by COVID-19. 79 out of its 83 states have been devastated by the global pandemic. State authorities confirmed that as of Tuesday, there were more than 53,000 COVID-19 cases and with a death toll of more than 5,000.

Gov. Whitman said: "I feel like I've said this a lot over the last 10 weeks, but this is an event, unlike anything we've seen before. We've got to continue to work together, to observe best practices to help one another, and to wear our masks and continue to try to social distance at this moment."

Meanwhile, Pres. Donald Trump posted on his Twitter account on Wednesday morning, "My team is closely monitoring the flooding in Central Michigan - Stay SAFE and listen to local officials. Our brave First Responders are once again stepping up to serve their fellow citizens, THANK YOU!"

Pres. Trump also asserted that his administration is keeping an eye on the developments of the flooding in the area. Moreover, the Michigan Department of Transportation already warned of the flooding on several state roads. 

In another report from a news outlet, a bridge had collapsed and thousands of residents were without power in the city of Midland. The governor ordered the evacuation and urged most especially the residents in Midland County to get into safety.

The governor said: "Please get somewhere safe, now. In the next 12 to 15 hours downtown Midland could be under approximately 9 feet of water. We are anticipating a historic high water level." Gov. Whitman has also already declared a state of emergency for the county. 

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