Dams Fail in Central Michigan; Evacuations Underway

a reply to: JAGStorm

That's the storm system that has been keeping us cloudy and about 15 degrees cooler than normal for the time of year here. We could use some of the rain, but we're not getting any of it.

a reply to: Cmajlz

a reply to: misfit312

That blows. Seriously bummed to hear that. Makes this situation much more dangerous to a much larger area (water runoff will hit 'the City' eventually) I am deeply concerned for the area's water table.

Son of an itch-bay! 2020 has been a # year so far! But it's waking up the citizenry, which has gotten complacent and lazy. I must say, with shame, that I'm one of these. I could definitely do more, in a lot of ways. Inaction is just not acceptable anymore, at least not to me.

I think I just became politically Red. The color purple isn't going to do anything for anybody. There is no representation. My heart lies there, but war against the enemy means creating a strike platform in alien territory. So be it.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: JAGStorm

That's the storm system that has been keeping us cloudy and about 15 degrees cooler than normal for the time of year here. We could use some of the rain, but we're not getting any of it.

Though I personally wasn't around to see it, I have seen pictures. In 1937 the Ohio River experienced massive flooding that took week(s) to recede.. Where the river may have been 100 yards or less across it was 2 miles across at its peak. Hopefully, your State will not experience that. Google the flood if you want to see pictures.

Here's the NOAA warning for the flood.
Some informative charts are included.

www.weather.gov...

This blows for those effected and should (But wont) serve as a wakeup call that our once great infrastructure is crumbling. We need to get to work now or it will be more painful if we keep kicking that can down the road.

originally posted by: FredT
This blows for those effected and should (But wont) serve as a wakeup call that our once great infrastructure is crumbling. We need to get to work now or it will be more painful if we keep kicking that can down the road.

The Army Corp of Engineers and your State officials have surveyed your dams. They know which ones are most likely to fail and which, if they fail, will cause the most economic loss. The Corp has a remediation plan and the work has been prioritized on a national level. Where the dams are in those plans, you may want to research

a reply to: FredT
I don't think it was infrastructure this time!
Although what you say is true!

This was up to 8 inches of rain in a short span of time...on ground that was cold and wet already.

ETA
Looks like I was wrong!!!!
Failure to repair...
www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: ketsuko

Yeah, that's nice and all. But facilitates a citizen that is a coward at heart. Old school America had citizens that held just as much loyalty to their state as to the country at large.

Creates a citizen that will work MUCH harder to maintain the greatness of their respective state; they would stay, organize and fight the power. Civil War allowed the the Federal government identity to overpower the old State identity.

Your idea also facilitates the takeover of a state by hostile forces. The citizen will now run away instead of standing and fighting for the State they love. If you can facilitate the implosion of the economy, much of your opposition will flee. And whoever is left must defend what is left with a much weaker core.

This is why America keeps sliding deeper into #. I live in Ypsilanti, which is the site of a major university AND one of the strongest community colleges in the nation. It's in Ann Arbors sphere, and is disgustingly progressive (almost all are university-grown), though a lot of the older citizens are Red.

It's a #-hole, alright; but MY #-hole. I will fight to make it better, not abandon it and when the State (everyone I've ever known and loved) needs me the most. The federal takeover of State culture has broken the back of the USA citizen. I will not succumb. I will not choose personal comfort and happiness over the wellbeong of my people.

If you follow the federal plan for being a citizen with no real loyalty to your State, I hope you live elsewhere than here. But what am I kidding; you'd have already packed your bags and left us the die, if you follow the ideas you posted. The ideas you posted are contempible to anyone who loves their Country AND State.

With the flooding, I wonder if Trump is coming to Michigan Thursday?

a reply to: Cmajlz
He was scheduled to visit an auto plant in Ypsilanti Thursday.

a reply to: TDawg61

WHAT?!

*head explodes*

Gonna scoop myself off the floor and then check this out! I want to attend if it's open to the public.

The Sanford dam is still holding but they don't expect it to. I'm hoping the breakwall breech was enough to keep the dam from collapsing. There is about 2' of standing water downtown in Midland this morning, high enough to enter all the buildings in that area. The river is at around 34' right now but they're still thinking it will hit 38' before it crests.

One of my co-workers evacuated last night and is in Ann Arbor with his son. We haven't heard from two other co-workers yet, I'm a little worried about them. Some friends in the area evacuated, some are still on high ground. This isn't over yet, unfortunately, and Wixom Lake isn't much more than a pond now.

Well, I hope all our fellow Michiganders in the area are safe. The news said this morning that they believe there will be 9' of water downtown Midland?
That is going to cause so much damage, not only to homes, but peoples businesses too. How much more can people take?


I will say, I'm a little surprised it did not happen last year, as we had a horribly rainy spring. But it must have been spread out more, over more days, than what we had the other day in just 24 hours.

The news reported there is around 2' of water downtown right now but the river hasn't crested yet. To give you an idea of how close it is to the river, there is a point downtown where you can stand on the back of the property and throw a rock into the river. The street is around 15' above the railroad tracks that used to go right behind the buildings on the west side of Main St. The tracks were several feet higher than the water at normal level so it has risen that high since Monday.

I can't figure out how to posts pics but it's easy to find them and videos online. It's going to be a major disaster by the time this is done.

Co-workers and friends are accounted for. Some had to evac, some are on high enough ground that it didn't affect them.

Whew.

Its the same old story and its getting worse.

There are more people using infrastructure like roads, bridges and dams then there are those contributing to its maintenance.

Mid-Michigan dam that failed was cited for years for safety violations

I just saw that. I'm thinking they are going to wish they had taken better care of the dam now because they're going to be sued into total oblivion.

originally posted by: HalWesten
Our team has WebEx meetings every morning, I'll find out more details then because half the team live in this area, some are in the evacuation zones so they may not be on the call.

Same here. I just got off the morning standup with my team a couple hours ago. Everyone is accounted for but unfortunately some have flooded houses and a couple have lost power. One co-worker lives on Wixom Lake. He said yesterday everyone was losing their boats as the lake was rising and then once the dam let loose, it's down over 8 ft. He used to have lake front property. Now it's about 300' of muck.