May 20 (UPI) — A dam breach in central Michigan that forced thousands to evacuate has swelled the Tittabawasse River to its highest level in history, forecasters said Wednesday.
The earthen Edenville Dam held back the river, which reached the record high of 34 feet in Midland, the National Weather Service said. Forecasters expect the water level to rise further before it crests at about 38 feet Wednesday night.
The Edenville Dam ruptured Tuesday after swelling with several inches of rain, and was followed by the failure of Sanford Dam in Midland County. The failures forced thousands to evacuate Midland and surrounding areas and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency.
“This is unlike anything we’ve seen in Midland County,” Whitmer said at a news conference Tuesday. “If you have a family member or loved one who lives in another part of the state, go there now.”
Downtown Midland, the site of a major Dow Chemical plant, is projected to be under as many as 9 feet of water by late Wednesday, Whitmer said.
According to records, the company that owns the dam had a federal license revoked in 2018.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revoked the license for Boyce Hydro Power to generate power at the Edenville Dam, citing the company’s failure over a years-long span to correct safety problems, including its ability to withstand a major flood.
FERC regulators said they were revoking the license because of the company’s “longstanding failure to increase the project’s spillway capacity to safely pass flood flows, as well as its failure to comply with its license” and commission regulations.
Midland County and neighboring Gladwin Country agreed to buy the dams from Boyce Hydro in January.
