'Catastrophic Failures': Park Under Water in Michigan as Sanford Dam Overflows

Thousands of people have been told to evacuate their homes and a major flood emergency is underway in Michigan’s Midland County after two dams failed.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning along the Tittabawassee River due to the “catastrophic” failure of the Edenville Dam and the Sanford Dam, which are about 10 miles apart.

“The gauge site at Midland exceeded the previous record stage of 33.89’ at approximately 5:30 am,” the NWS tweeted on Wednesday morning, May 20. “Life-threatening flooding continues today.”

Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency in Midland County on Tuesday night, urging residents to move to higher ground amid rising water levels.

This video shows water from the Sanford Dam overflowing into parkland on Tuesday. It follows the breach of the Edenville Dam on May 19, after days of heavy rain in Michigan, Illinois and across the Midwest.

Local media reported that the evacuations would include the towns of Edenville, Sanford and parts of the city of Midland, which is home to 42,000 people. Credit: Paige Fryzelka via Storyful