Governor Requests Major Disaster Declaration

Liz Gullett

Jun 19, 2020

In response to the flooding and dam failures last month, Governor Gretchen Whitmer sent a letter to President Donald Trump requesting a major disaster declaration. Last month, Governor Whitmer declared a State of Emergency for the counties affected by the dam failures and requested and received aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help in the cleanup effort. The flooding has resulted in more than $190 million in losses for residents and over $42 million in damages to public buildings and infrastructure.

The flooding was caused by an area of low pressure stalled across the Great Lakes region, bringing a prolonged period of rainfall to Michigan from May 17 to May 19. Persistent steady rain resulted in excessive two-day rainfall totals reaching record levels at some locations.

The record flood levels along the Tittabawassee River were greatly exacerbated due to extra water from two catastrophic dam failures of the Edenville and Sanford dams. High water levels of the Edenville Dam Impoundment likely contributed to failure of the earthen embankment at the east side of the dam. The sudden release of water through the breach in the dam then flowed downstream into Sanford Lake. The resulting rapid rise in Sanford Lake caused the earthen embankments of the Sanford Dam to be breached.

To read the governor’s letter to the president, please click here.

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