Thousands evacuated after two dams collapse in Michigan
10,000 people are ordered to evacuate in Midland County when dams break after days of heavy rain.
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a state of emergency for Midland County on Tuesday night after two dams were breached in the area, forcing the evacuation of about 10,000 people in mid-Michigan.
“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."
The governor said downtown Midland could be "under approximately 9 feet of water" by morning. Residents were told they must evacuate as soon as possible.
MICHIGAN FLOODS BRING 'SUBSTANTIAL' CONCERN ABOUT DAMS, 'CUTOFF LOW' TO PACK DRENCHING RAIN
"We are anticipating a historic high of water level," she said. "To go through this in the midst of a global pandemic is almost unthinkable."
Both the Sanford and Edenville dams were breached. Video taken from the air captured the breach at the Edenville dam, which showed water pouring out from Wixom Lake. The National Guard has been activated and on-site, with 100 soldiers ready and doing inspections.
The state had already experienced such intense flooding on Tuesday that people who lived in the area were forced to evacuate after the breach caused it to fail.
It was the second time in less than 24 hours that families living along two lakes and a river were ordered to leave home.
Residents in Edenville and Sanford were told to move out by local law enforcement. Both south and west sides of the city of Midland have been evacuated -- as well as the village of Sanford and Dow Chemical. Officials are in the process of evacuating Tittabawassee Township, Thomas Township, and Saginaw Township.
Shelters were set up in and around Midland County.
At least three schools are being used to house evacuees in the Midland area around 140 miles north of Detroit after the dams were breached, Whitmer said. She recommended people to wear face coverings when going to shelters.
Red Cross worker Tom Restgate told The AP he received an alert on his phone informing him of the incident. More than 50 roads were shut down in the area as a result of the break.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for locations along the Tittabawassee River on Tuesday after the breach at the Edenville Dam in Midland County, about 140 miles north of Detroit and the Sanford Dam, downriver from Edenville.
"Extremely dangerous flash flooding is ongoing along the Tittabawassee River in Midland county due to catastrophic dam failures at the Edenville and Sanford dams," the weather service said on its website. "This flooding will continue all along the length of the river in Midland county, and possibly extending into Saginaw county where a Flash Flood Watch is also in effect."
The agency added that anyone near the river should seek higher ground immediately. Residents should also be prepared for immediate evacuations, and not drive into flooded roadways.
The depth and destruction as a result of the breaches and flooding are unknown at this time, according to Whitmer. She said we won't know the extent of it for approximately the next 12 to 15 hours.
Earlier, state officials had been reportedly eyeing Sanford Dam, south of Edenville, in anticipation of another rupture.
TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS, WIDESPREAD FLOODING IN CHICAGO AREA AS STORM SYSTEM BRINGS 'VERY HEAVY RAIN'
On Monday, rain in Michigan had already spurred warnings about the stability of several dams within the state.
The Gladwin County Central Dispatch said the Chappel Dam failed, with flash flooding expected downstream, 9 & 10 News reported.
Measures were taken on Monday to alert state residents of the heavy rains. The National Weather Service's (NWS) Weather Prediction Center (WPC) said heavy rain could also cause flash flooding in the western Carolinas and Virginia.
"We have flash-flooding concerns in all of these areas and that is going to be a big deal over the next couple of days," Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean said on "Fox & Friends First."
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Central dispatch later said it has been working with Boyce Hydro to further assess the situation.
Fox News' Travis Fedschun Brandon Noriega and the Associated Press contributed to this report
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